NC State vs. Wake Forest predictions, odds, time: 2025 college football Week 3 pick by expert on 10-2 run

Teams looking to stay perfect and open up ACC action on a high note meet when the North Carolina State Wolfpack face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Thursday night. NC State is coming off a 35-31 non-conference win over Virginia, while Wake Forest defeated Western Carolina 42-10 in Week 2 action. The Wolfpack (2-0), who finished tied for 10th in the ACC at 3-5 and 6-7 overall, were 2-2 on the road in 2024. The Demon Deacons (2-0), who tied for 14th in the conference at 2-6 and were 4-8 overall, were 1-6 on their home field.

Kickoff from Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Wolfpack are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Wake Forest vs. NC State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 53.5. Before making any NC State vs. Wake Forest picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine expert, Josh Nagel, has to say. 

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Nagel is a Reno-based analyst and radio host who has worked in the sports handicapping industry for more than 20 years. SportsLine’s assistant managing editor has covered the wagering industry on a variety of platforms, and has won numerous sports handicapping contests. He’s an incredible 10-2 (+875) on his last 12 college football picks. Anyone who has followed him could be way up.

Now, Nagel has zoned in on NC State vs. Wake Forest. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college football betting lines for Wake Forest vs. NC State:

Why NC State can cover

Sophomore quarterback C.J. Bailey is in his second season with the Wolfpack. In last week’s win over Virginia, the dual-threat completed 16 of 23 passes (69.6%) for 200 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed six times for 44 yards and two touchdowns. As a freshman, Bailey completed 64.9% of his passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

Helping power the running game is sophomore Hollywood Smothers, who is in his second season with the Wolfpack after spending his first year at Oklahoma. In the win over Virginia, he carried 17 times for 140 yards (8.2 average) and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 13 yards (6.5 average). For the season, he has carried 39 times for 216 yards (5.5 average) and three touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Wake Forest can cover

After two years at Auburn and one at South Carolina, senior Robby Ashford has taken over at quarterback for the Demon Deacons. In two games, he has completed 33 of 50 (66%) passes for 445 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also has rushed 25 times for 108 yards (4.3 average) and two touchdowns. For his career, he has completed 53.8% of his passes for 2,527 yards and 12 touchdowns with 10 picks. He has also rushed 265 times for 1,262 yards (4.8 average) and 16 touchdowns.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Barnes is off to a fast start with the Demon Deacons. In two games, he has nine receptions for 172 yards (19.1 average). He also has rushed twice for 18 yards. He appeared in three games at Washington State last season, catching two passes for 19 yards. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make NC State vs. Wake Forest picks

For Thursday’s NC State vs. Wake Forest matchup, Nagel is leaning over the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who covers in NC State vs. Wake Forest and what critical x-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the NC State vs. Wake Forest spread you need to jump, all from the expert who returned $875 to $100 players over his last 12 college football picks, and find out.