Wake Forest vs. Memphis -3 (o/u 75.5)
With a big 59-7 win over bowl-bound Duke in the last game of the season, Wake Forest (6-6) was able to secure a bowl invitation of its own. On the offensive side of the ball, the Demon Deacons belong in the post-season. The offense ranked 64th in the nation in YPG on the back of a balanced attack that featured QB Sam Hartman, who threw for 1,984 yards and 16 TDs in just under 9 games of action. On defense, Wake Forest was next to last in scoring defense in the conference, giving up more than 33 PPG. That’s not going to get it done in a major conference like the ACC.
Memphis had the honor of playing in the American Athletic Conference, which turned out to be one of the most exciting conferences in the nation. The Tigers’ offense was nothing short of awesome. They ranked 10th in the nation for total offense at 534.3 YPG and 7th in the nation for scoring at 43.6 PPG. In the backfield, Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. piled up a combined rushing total of 2,921 yards and 37 TD’s. Henderson’s total of 1,909 yards ranked 2nd in the nation for rushing yards, just behind Wisconsin’s Jonathon Taylor (1,989 yards). The problem for the Tigers was a defense that gave up more than 31 PPG, though arguably against some of the best offense in the country.
Wake Forest probably played the tougher schedule. With that said, Memphis is a juggernaut on offense. Playing a side in this game requires the handicapper to decide whether or not Wake Forest is going to be able to put points on the board against the Memphis defense. For sure, Memphis has the ability to score in the mid-40s against a suspect Wake Forest Defense.
Prediction: This looks like a blowout waiting to happen. A look at the schedule indicates Memphis’ defense may not be as bad as the stats indicate, and they will score plenty of points. Play Memphis -3
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