Wake Forest had a bit of a letdown regular season, going 7-5 overall. Demon Deacon fans had hopes of contending for the ACC title. Wake Forest proved in an early season double overtime loss to eventual ACC champion Clemson that, at its best, it could have challenged for the championship.
The Demon Deacons have one more game and a chance to end the season on a high note in their bowl game. Wake Forest will play in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium. The Demon Deacons will be facing the Missouri Tigers.
Wake Forest VS. Missouri Betting Odds
Missouri had a surprising season as well, but for the Tigers, it was positive as they had multiple upset wins. Just qualifying for a bowl game was a significant accomplishment.
College bowl game odds in NC have Wake Forest favored by one point or 1.5 points in the Gasparilla Bowl, with a point total of over 60 at the top online sportsbooks. It should make for a fun bowl game with plenty of offensive firepower.
Sportsbook Point Spread Moneyline Total Points DraftKings Sportsbook NC Wake Forest -1 (-110)
Missouri +1 (-110)Wake Forest (-115)
Missouri (-105)Over 60.5 (-110)
Under 60.5 (-110)Caesars Sportsbook NC Wake Forest -1 (-110)
Missouri +1 (-110)Wake Forest (-115)
Missouri (-105)Over 60.5 (-110)
Under 60.5 (-110)FanDuel Sportsbook NC Wake Forest -1.5 (-105)
Missouri +1.5 (-115)Wake Forest (-120)
Missouri (+100)Over 60.5 (-105)
Under 60.5 (-115)BetMGM NC Sportsbook Wake Forest -1 (-110)
Missouri +1 (-110)Wake Forest (-115)
Missouri (-105)Over 61 (-110)
Under 61 (-110)PointsBet NC Sportsbook Wake Forest -1 (-110)
Missouri +1 (-110)Wake Forest (-120)
Missouri (+100)Over 60.5 (-110)
Under 60.5 (-110)
Point Spread
Most sportsbooks point spreads favor Wake Forest by a single point. That can be considered a surprise, given the Tigers lost four out of their last five games during the regular season. The best value is at FanDuel with -105 odds, but the point spread is -1.5. It is one of the few sportsbooks over 1 point.
Moneyline
The moneyline may be the way to go considering the line is so small. The best value for Wake Forest bettors is -115 at DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM North Carolina sportsbook. Remember, this line could remain in flux as both teams have players in the transfer portal skipping the bowl game and injury concerns at key positions.
Total Points
The over/under is 60.5 or 61 points, with the best value for the Under coming at -110 at multiple sportsbooks. The best value for the Over is at FanDuel with -105. Each team averages more than 25 points scored per game, and bowl games are often high scoring, especially in lesser bowl games where the teams are not playing for anything other than pride.
Wake Forest Bowl Game History
Wake Forest has played in 16 bowl games in program history, and the Demon Deacons have an all-time bowl game record of 10-6.
Season Year Bowl Game Result Opponent 2006 Orange Bowl L 24–13 Louisville Cardinals 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl W 24–10 Connecticut Huskies 2008 EagleBank Bowl W 29–19 Navy Midshipmen 2011 Music City Bowl L 23–17 Mississippi State Bulldogs 2016 Military Bowl W 34–26 Temple Owls 2017 Belk Bowl W 55–52 Texas A&M Aggies 2018 Birmingham Bowl W 37–34 Memphis Tigers 2019 Pinstripe Bowl L 21–27 Michigan State Spartans 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl L 28–42 Wisconsin Badgers 2021 Gator Bowl W 38–10 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Demon Deacon Bowl Game Fun Facts
- Wake Forest is 6-4 in its last 10 bowl games.
- Wake Forest is 4-2 in bowl games during Dave Clawson’s tenure.
- The Gasparilla Bowl has had several names in its history — magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl, Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. It became the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in 2020.
- Neither Missouri nor Wake Forest has ever played in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The most exciting bowl game in Wake Forest history has to be their 2018 shootout with Texas A&M. The Demon Deacons beat the Aggies 55-52 in the Belk Bowl. Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns.
The Demon Deacons’ biggest bowl win in program history has to be their 2021 Gator Bowl domination of Rutgers. The win moved Wake Forest to 10-3, one of the best records for a single season in program history.
While Wake Forest fans won’t be able to bet on any of this year’s college bowl games, North Carolina online sports betting is coming to the state in early 2024.
AP Photo/Chuck Burton