The main leg of college football bowl season concludes with a matchup between Wake Forest (8-4) and Mississippi State (5-7) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, kicking off on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The SEC has struggled in bowls this year, but there’s one more chance for the conference to get a win. Unfortunately, it’s with the Bulldogs, a program whose 1-7 conference record was the second-worst.
With that in mind, let's take a look at our Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State prediction and picks for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, including PrizePicks Team Picks data for the matchup.
Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State Prediction, Over/Under, Spread
The Demon Deacons and Bulldogs meet for the second time ever, with Mississippi State having one win.
Miss State comes into the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.92x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they cover and a 1.61x payout to win outright.
Wake Forest is the underdog with a 1.75x payout if they cover the spread and a 2.22x payout to win outright.
- Spread: Mississippi State Bulldogs -3.5
- Over/Under: 53.5
- Game Winner Payout: Demon Deacons 2.22x | Bulldogs 1.61x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State Preview for Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Let's peel back the layers of this game and break down both sides of Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Preview vs. Wake Forest
The offense will be missing a few key players, including starting QB Blake Shapen and RB Davon Booth. The good news is they still have the team’s leading rusher, RB Fluff Bothwell, who averages 5.0 yards per carry.
Replacing Shapen is true freshman QB Kamario Taylor, who showed off his dual-threat ability with 178 passing yards, 173 rushing yards, and 2 rushing TDs in the regular-season finale, a 38-19 loss to Ole Miss. Shapen had just 28 rushing yards this season, so Taylor gives the Bulldogs someone who can extend plays.
Mississippi State's best strategy may be to control the clock by leaning on the run. With a 55.1% run play percentage this season (38th), they know how to do just that. Their defense, meanwhile, struggled all year and comes into Friday ranked 109th in scoring (31.8 PPG) and 113th in per-game yardage (428.5).
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview vs. Mississippi State
Wake Forest QB Robby Ashford struggled in the passing game for most of the season, averaging only 6.9 yards per attempt with a 57.6% completion percentage. The final two games saw significant improvements, however (9.8 YPA, 64.6% completion clip).
Ashford can scramble to extend plays, but he may not need to against a Bulldogs pass rush that ranks 124th in pressure rate (28.6%, per CFB Graphs). They also have RB Demond Claiborne, who finished sixth in the ACC with 907 rushing yards. His 179 carries were fifth in the conference.
Wake Forest's biggest advantage might be its defensive line. The Demon Deacons' front is eighth nationally in tackles for loss with 86. That’s where Miss State could struggle; their 89 tackles for a loss allowed is 128th.
The Demon Deacons could have Taylor scrambling through this game, and Wake Forest's pass defense ranks third in yards allowed per completion (9.6), which may make him one-dimensional. Ashford and the offense just has to keep the momentum going from its previous two outings.
Make Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State Picks on PrizePicks
With PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks, you can elevate the Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State Duke's Mayo Bowl action.
Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 30 states.
Stay tuned to the Playbook for college football predictions, picks, and news throughout the playoffs and bowl season.
Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state. Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.
