Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction, Odds and Picks for Friday, 01/02/26

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will look to finish their season tied for the most wins in the program’s last 25 seasons. Wake Forest finished with nine wins in 2021 and 2006. The Demon Deacons have a record of 8-4 this season, and they finished their season winning three of their last four games. They lost their last game against Duke 49-32. Quarterback Robby Ashford led the team with 342 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. Duke went on to win the ACC Championship, but the loss should not take away from the great season Wake Forest had. Their opponent for this game will be the 5-7 Mississippi State Bulldogs. Mississippi State ended their season losing their last three games. The Bulldogs still got the bowl game bid with enough teams in front of them declining the opportunity to play. Their last three losses of the season came against Georgia, Missouri, and Ole Miss. All three losses came by a total of 19 points or more. 

After wins to end the season against SMU, Virginia, and North Carolina, a win in a bowl game would finish off one of the most successful seasons that Wake Forest’s program has had in recent years. First-year head coach Jake Dickert will have his team inspired to play, but he will have to go into this game missing some key contributors. Running back Demond Claiborne will miss this game in preparation for the NFL draft, and defensive tackle Mateen Ibirogba will miss due to the transfer portal. Success will depend on senior quarterback Robby Ashford. Ashford finished his season throwing for 2169 yards, and he ran for another 504 yards. Good news for Wake Forest is that Mississippi State will likely be without quarterback Blake Shapen as he prepares for the NFL Draft. With 2433 yards passing and 15 touchdowns, Shapen was the bright spot on this Mississippi State offense. Freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor will have to join a roster that failed to compete, and backed by a defense that allowed 29.2 points per game.

Wake Forest +3 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at the ML.