Wake Forest at North Carolina State

RALEIGH (Interstat) — Wake Forest will visit North Carolina State on Saturday in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Demon Deacons bring a 4-1 record into the matchup, while the Wolfpack are 3-2. The forecast for game time calls for 65-degree temperatures.

Wake Forest has leaned on quarterback Gio Lopez. In the Demon Deacons’ most recent game, a 57-3 win over Stanford, Lopez passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns. Steele Pizzella added 57 passing yards and a rushing score, and Deuce Lawrence ran for 47 yards and a touchdown. Lopez also passed for 225 yards and a score in a 30-27 win over Louisville and threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-20 loss to Miami (FL). Wake Forest’s other results include a 38-36 overtime win at Purdue and a 38-16 home win over Akron.

North Carolina State counters with quarterback CJ Bailey. In the Wolfpack’s most recent game, a 31-28 win over Louisville, Bailey passed for 373 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 19 yards. Joshisa Trader caught five passes for 92 yards, and Davion Gause ran for 69 yards and caught three passes for 45 yards. Bailey threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score in a 41-31 win over Appalachian State, and he passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt. NC State’s other results include a 73-0 win over Richmond and a 34-8 loss at Virginia.

The matchup features two offenses capable of producing points. Wake Forest has scored at least 30 points in four of its five games, while North Carolina State has scored 31 or more in four of five. Carter-Finley Stadium will host the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack.

Wake Forest is next scheduled to play at California, followed by a home game against Virginia. The Demon Deacons also have upcoming games against Merrimack, SMU, Georgia Tech and Duke. North Carolina State is next scheduled to play at Stanford, followed by a home game against California. The Wolfpack also have upcoming games against Duke, Syracuse, Florida State and North Carolina.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of North Carolina State 42, Wake Forest 40. North Carolina State has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -3.5, and the over/under for the game is 59.5.