Coming off a thrilling 11-3 season in which the Wake Forest Demon Deacons played in the ACC title game, they hope to have another big year in 2022. Could the Deacons again challenge for the ACC title, or will they take a step back to the typical five- to eight-win range fans saw in the previous five years?
It is reasonable to think that Wake Forest could again compete for the ACC crown as it brings back quite a bit from last year’s 11-win team. Head coach Dave Clawson has taken a mediocre program and turned it into a yearly challenger in the ACC. Even with a tough schedule of games, the 8.5 season wins total seems within reach for the Demon Deacons, and North Carolina sports betting fans should take note.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Futures Odds 2022
| Sportsbook | Season Wins Total | ACC Championship Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Caesars North Carolina Sportsbook | Over 8.5 (+110) Under 8.5 (-130) | +1800 |
| FanDuel North Carolina Sportsbook | Over 8.5 (-110) Under 8.5 (-110) | +1600 |
| DraftKings North Carolina Sportsbook | Over 8.5 (+110) Under 8.5 (-130) | +1800 |
More money incoming: North Carolina sports betting tax rate expected to double
Wake Forest 2022 Schedule
Sept. 1: vs. Virginia Military Institute
Sept. 10: at Vanderbilt
Sept. 17: vs. Liberty
Sept. 24: vs. Clemson
Oct. 1: at Florida State
Oct. 8: vs. Army
Oct. 22: vs. Boston College
Oct. 29: at Louisville
Nov. 5: at North Carolina State
Nov. 12: vs. North Carolina
Nov. 19: vs. Syracuse
Nov. 26: at Duke
Demon Deacons 2022 Outlook
The Wake Forest offense has become one to reckon with, frequently lighting up opponents for 40-plus points. In fact, last season, the Demon Deacons had the fourth highest-scoring offense in all of college football. The defense is where the Demon Deacons need improvement. Suppose they could piece together a top-40 defense to be in the range of their top-10 offense. In that case, the Demon Deacons could find themselves not just competing for, but winning the ACC title.
While Wake Forest did lose a few players, the two guys the offense is getting back from injury may provide more than what was lost. Wide Receiver Donavon Greene looked ready to be on the cusp of superstardom after having caught 14 passes for 292 yards in his last two games of 2020. JeVionte’ Nash comes back from injury and should do an excellent job of leading the offensive line and protecting his quarterback’s blindside.
As mentioned, the defense struggled, especially in big games. The defense has been boom or bust when considering it created 29 turnovers last year. Can this year’s defense create that same number of turnovers while also preventing the big play? Yet the defense did get a few transfers, and if those players can plug a few holes, this defense may be good enough to let the offense carry the team without losing the big games because it gave up 40+ points.
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Betting Recommendation
The number of 8.5 wins seems like a fair line from most sportsbooks, and it is a tough one. If the Deacons stay healthy and their defense improves a little, they could easily surpass it. Yet, with multiple injury-prone players and unproven transfers, I suggest taking the under at FanDuel (-110). It seems like the Demon Deacons would need a lot to go right to prove me wrong but only have one or two things go wrong to prove me right.
AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman
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