Wake Forest projected to edge North Carolina State in close ACC test

Versus gives this one a four-point margin, projecting Wake Forest 31, North Carolina State 27, with the Demon Deacons favored at 59 percent. That tightness lines up with the profiles: Wake Forest sits 26th in FBS and North Carolina State 59th, a real gap but not one that suggests a lopsided afternoon, and this game counts in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings for both sides.

Wake Forest arrives with an A- overall grade built on an A- offense, carrying a 4-1 record that is its best start through five games since 2022. The Demon Deacons have been outscoring opponents across their recent run, a trend that backs up Versus's offensive rank of 29th in FBS.

North Carolina State counters at 3-2 with a B- overall grade and a defense ranked 62nd that will need to hold against that offense. The Wolfpack have their own streak working in their favor, having won seven straight at home, and they too have been outscoring opponents during their recent stretch. Versus still sees Wake Forest's offensive and overall edges as enough to get a 31-27 projection, but not by much.