SMU Mustangs vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 10/25/25

Despite 2 losses on the season, SMU’s hopes to return to the ACC title game are very much alive, as the Mustangs are undefeated in conference play thanks to a 35-24 win at Clemson last week. The Tigers were without starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, and the Mustangs were able to take advantage of that – holding the Tigers to around 350 yards of offense and just 1.2 yards per carry. Following the big win, the Mustangs will travel to Winston-Salem for a meeting with a pesky Wake Forest squad. It’s one of those classic sandwich spots for SMU, as they beat Clemson last week and have a home game against Miami next week. Could it be a sleepy spot for SMU at Wake Forest? I tend to think so.

The Demon Deacons enter this contest following a bye, so they will benefit from extra time to rest and prepare for the Mustangs. Wake Forest may be 1-2 in ACC play, but the ‘Deacs have been solid against their conference opponents – as their 2 losses against NC State and Georgia Tech were very winnable until the offense fell apart in the second halves of those contests. A bye week prior to this game should help the late-game woes for Wake Forest, especially against an opponent that may overlook this game for next week’s massive clash against the Hurricanes. 

SMU loves to throw the ball. In fact, the Mustangs are top-15 in passing rate outside of garbage time over the last 5 weeks, which may play into the strengths of Wake’s defense. The Demon Deacons are 3rd nationally in PPA per pass and 13th in passing downs PPA since Week 4, along with top-30 marks in overall PPA per play allowed, points allowed per quality drive, and standard downs PPA. On the season as a whole, Wake’s defense ranks 12th in yards per play allowed. Look for the Demon Deacons to leverage the advantageous situational spot and utilize their defensive strengths enough to sneak inside this number with a real chance to steal a victory. 

SMU vs Wake Forest prediction: Wake Forest Demon Deacons +3.5 (-110) at the time of publishing. Playable to +3. 

You can bet on our SMU vs Wake Forest pick with BetMGM, where right now new users can activate your new BetMGM account ⚡ and receive $150 in bonus bets INSTANTLY if your first $10+ wager is a winner!