Miami vs. Wake Forest prediction, odds, time: 2026 Week 3 college football Friday picks by proven model — SkimNews
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- Miami Hurricanes (2-0, ranked 5th) enter Friday's ACC matchup as 20.5-point road favorites over Wake Forest after crushing Florida A&M 77-7 in Week 2, while Wake Forest (2-0) edged Purdue 38-36 in double overtime.
- SportsLine's model simulated Miami vs. Wake Forest 10,000 times and projects 47 combined points, hitting the Under (55.5) in 66% of simulations and one side of the spread in 60%.
- Miami's defense ranks 11th in FBS, allowing just 203 total yards and 6.5 points per game, with junior lineman Marquise Lightfoot pacing the team with 11 tackles and one sack through two games.
- Miami has won eight consecutive meetings in the series dating back to 1944, including a 42-14 rout in 2024, and the Under has cashed in three of the last four head-to-head matchups.
- Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez powered the Demon Deacons past Purdue with 225 passing yards and 59 rushing yards, accounting for most of the offense in the double-overtime win.
- SportsLine touts a 33-21 record on top-rated CFB money-line picks since 2024 and has upgraded its model for 2026 to better account for transfer portal movement.
- The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Allegacy Financial Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., with the over/under having moved up 5 points from its opening line.
Why it matters: A 20.5-point spread on a top-5 team is enormous, and bettors weighing whether to fade Miami against a Wake Forest squad that just survived a double-OT scare now have a model projecting 47 points — 8.5 below the current total. With the Under hitting in 66% of simulations and one spread side cashing at 60%, SportsLine's pick gives bettors a data-backed lean against the public's likely expectation of a Miami blowout.
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