Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest ACC Championship Picks
Pittsburgh Panthers (10-2 SU, 9-3 ATS) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS)
When: Saturday, December 4, 8 p.m.
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: ABC
Point Spread: PITT -3/WAKE +3 (Get the best lines >>>)
Total: O/U 72.5
Outlook
This is the one Saturday conference title game that will not affect the College Football Playoff in any way, as neither Pittsburgh nor Wake Forest has any hope of getting anywhere close to the top four. The winner actually has no idea where it’s heading, as the Orange Bowl is being used as a semifinal this year and is thus closed off to the ACC champion. Instead, the winner of this game will likely play in either the Fiesta Bowl or the Peach Bowl. For the loser, the drop is a large one, as the loser is likely off to fall to the Cheez-It Bowl. While that could still mean a battle with a name opponent from the Big 12 — likely Oklahoma or Baylor — it’s really not a game that either of these teams wants to find itself playing in this winter.
Before they learn their destinations, there’s the matter of the ACC title game, which would be a first for Pittsburgh and a first since 2006 for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons played in and won this game long before the Clemson dynasty took off, and they’ve managed to win their way back this season by taking advantage of the void left by Clemson’s demise. Pitt has rolled through what’s usually Coastal Chaos on the strength of Kenny Pickett’s arm, which has shown that Pickett deserves to be in consideration for the Heisman Trophy. With an ACC championship in tow, Pickett’s case for that honor would become a lot stronger, giving Pitt multiple reasons to want this game.
How the Public is Betting the Pittsburgh/Wake Forest Game
The public might be on Wake Forest, but the sharp money came in on Pittsburgh. The line has swung from Wake Forest -2 to Pittsburgh -3, despite 55 percent of tickets being on the Demon Deacons. The total has ticked up from 71.5 to 72.5.Injury Concerns
Pittsburgh: Wide receiver Jaylen Barden (undisclosed) and wide receiver Taysir Mack (arm) are questionable. Running back A.J. Davis Jr. (undisclosed) is out.
Wake Forest: Offensive lineman Je’vionte Nash (undisclosed), linebacker Chase Monroe (undisclosed) and wide receiver Donavon Greene (undisclosed) are out.
When Pittsburgh Has the Ball
The Pitt running game is pedestrian, but when you have Kenny Pickett throwing for 40 touchdowns on the season, I wouldn’t bother running the ball much either. Pickett has thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of his past five games, and he’s topped that mark in eight games overall. The one thing that’s a bit concerning is that in the past five weeks, it’s looked like he’s pressed the issue a bit too much at times. After throwing just one pick in the first seven weeks of the season, he’s tossed six in five weeks and the only team he didn’t throw an interception to in the past five weeks was Duke. As long as Pickett isn’t overwhelmed by the chance to win Pitt’s first conference title since 2010 as members of the Big East, there shouldn’t be too many issues with Wake’s middling defense. The Deacons are better at stopping the pass than they are the run, but that doesn’t mean they’re good at either. Wake is giving up 29 points per game, so regardless of whether Pitt chooses to attack with Pickett and Jordan Addison or take advantage of the soft Wake run defense with Israel Abanikanda, the Panthers should be able to put up some big yardage and big numbers.More Picks: Houston vs. Cincinnati ACC Title Pick ATS >>>