The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are playing without their star quarterback. Will they have enough offense to defeat a Vanderbilt team that has scored in bunches to start the 2022 season?
This will be a fascinating game on Saturday in Nashville and one that many will likely be betting the over in the sportsbook. Is that the best bet versus the college football odds, though?
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks stats, injury reports, and NCAAF odds for Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt. We’ve plenty of NCAAF predictions for you to consider.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Can Wake Forest survive September? Sam Hartman, the brilliant quarterback who helped Wake Forest win the ACC Atlantic Division championship last season, is out with an illness, probably for the whole month of September.
If Wake Forest can manage without him until he returns, this team could still be able to defend its division title and compete for the ACC championship.
This is obviously not an ACC game, but it’s an important measuring stick for a team that knows it will need to play a few more games without Hartman.
Backup quarterback Mitch Griffis, pressed into a starting role for the opener against VMI on Sept. 1, was solid. He didn’t throw any interceptions and he completed just under 75 percent of his passes.
Of course, that was against an FCS team. Griffis now needs to show he can do the same, or at least something similar, against an SEC defense. Then Wake will know it has something good at QB until Hartman returns.
Vanderbilt Commodores
It’s true that the Commodores have played Hawaii and Elon, two not-very-good teams. Hawaii is one of the worst teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision while Elon is an FCS team.
It’s really hard to know how evolved and developed the Vanderbilt offense truly is, given the poor caliber of competition.
However, one has to admit that if you’re going to play bad teams, you should be able to light them up and post big numbers against them. Vanderbilt’s offense has done that.
Quarterback Mike Wright threw for six touchdowns against Elon as Vanderbilt scored 42 points.
The Commodores have posted 105 points in their first two games, averaging 52.5 points.
If Wright and the Vanderbilt offense can continue to thrive in this game, Griffis will have to get into a shootout, and that’s where missing Hartman could loom large for Wake Forest.
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Injury Report
The biggest part of the injury report for this game is the absence of Wake Forest starting quarterback Hartman (illness).
Wake Forest receiver Horatio Fields was knocked out for the season with a knee injury suffered against VMI.
Vanderbilt defensive lineman Daevion Davis is questionable with a leg injury. Several other players are questionable for unspecified reasons: defensive lineman Devin Lee, defensive end Brayden Bapst, running back Patrick Smith, defensive lineman Yilanan Ouattara, running back Rocko Griffin, and receiver Quincy Skinner.
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Head-to-Head
These teams last met in 2013. Vanderbilt won 23-21.
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Game Information
- Game: Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt
- Location: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 10th, Noon ET
- Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Live Stream: ESPN
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | MoneyLine | Total |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | -12 -110 | -460 | 65½ -110o |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | +12 -110 | +360 | 65½ -110u |
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Prediction
The Demon Deacons don’t have their star quarterback, but if you bet online and saw last week’s game, you know that they do have a good defense that allowed only 10 points.
They should be able to contain the Vanderbilt offense and win this game comfortably. Take them with your college football picks.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Trends
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Edge
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Results
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Game Injuries
Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt Game Summary
