NC State Opens ACC Play as Touchdown Favorite at Wake Forest

NC State enters its 2025 ACC opener against Wake Forest as a seven-point favorite after starting the season 2-0 with narrow victories, but the Wolfpack's defense faces challenges containing Wake's dynamic running back Demond Claiborne. Claiborne, who missed most of Wake's season opener, dominated in Week 2 with multiple long touchdown runs, highlighting NC State's defensive vulnerabilities against explosive rushes. Wake Forest, under new head coach Jake Dickert, aims to stabilize the program after a mixed recent history and showed strong defensive performances in their first two games, limiting opponents to 10 points or fewer. NC State's offense, led by dual-threat quarterback CJ Bailey, has been productive but will need to maintain efficiency in a likely back-and-forth game where defensive lapses could be costly. Despite some early statistical inconsistencies and a defense that struggled last week, the Wolfpack's offense and overall team strength have the edge according to betting lines and expert analyses. Both teams have momentum, but NC State is expected to leverage home-field advantage and a balanced attack to secure its first ACC road win of the season.