Clemson vs. Wake Forest score prediction by expert college football model

What the analytics predict for Clemson vs. Wake Forest in this Week 7 college football game.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest score prediction / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ACC football returns this weekend as No. 10 Clemson hits the road in a conference matchup against Wake Forest in college football’s Week 7 action on Saturday. Let’s check in with the latest prediction for the game by an expert model that picks winners.

Clemson has won 5 straight games since the season-opening loss to Georgia behind an offensive renaissance led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, scoring a combined 194 points in that stretch and moving into contention for the ACC conference championship this season.

Wake Forest comes in at 1-1 in ACC play and 2-3 overall but won a close decision against NC State last weekend, sitting top 30 nationally in passing output, but working behind a scoring defense that ranks 105th nationally, allowing 31 points per game on average.

What do the analytics suggest for this ACC conference matchup?

For that, let’s turn to the SP+ prediction model to get a preview of how Clemson and Wake Forest compare in this Week 7 college football game.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest score prediction

As expected, the models are favoring the Tigers over the Demon Deacons in this game.

SP+ predicts that Clemson will defeat Wake Forest by a projected score of 36 to 21 and will win the game by an expected 15 point margin.

The model gives the Tigers a strong 83 percent chance of outright victory.

SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”

How good is it this season? So far, the SP+ model is 154-141-3 against the spread with a 52.2 win percentage.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest odds, picks

Clemson is a 20.5 point favorite against Wake Forest, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.

FanDuel lists the total at 61.5 points for the game.

And it set the moneyline odds for Clemson at -1400 and for Wake Forest at +800 to win outright.

If you’re using this prediction to bet on the game, you should take ...

• Wake Forest +20.5
• Clemson to win -1400
• Bet under 61.5 points

A slight majority of bettors have faith that Clemson will get it done against Wake, according to the latest spread consensus picks.

About 53 percent of bets currently predict the Tigers will win the game and cover the spread.

And the remaining 47 percent of wagers forecast the Demon Deacons will either win in an upset, or more likely, keep the game within the line.

Computer prediction

Other analytical models also favor the Tigers in this conference clash.

That includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times to pick winners.

Clemson is projected to win outright in the overwhelming 87.5 percent of the FPI computer’s most recent simulations.

That leaves Wake Forest as the expected winner in the remaining 12.5 percent of sims.

Clemson is projected to be 17.5 points better than Wake Forest on the same field in both teams’ current composition, according to the model’s latest forecast.

Clemson is second among ACC teams with a 36.8 percent chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff and will win 9.6 games this season, according to the FPI’s metrics.

That model gives Wake a win total projection of 4 games and a 10.8 percent chance to make a bowl game.

More ... Clemson vs. Wake prediction: What the analytics say

How to watch Clemson vs. Wake Forest

When: Sat., Oct. 12
Time: 12 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN network

More ... Clemson vs. Wake Forest prediction: Who wins, and why?

-

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

-

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks