by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026
Venue: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WF -9.5, Cal +9.5; Over/Under: 53.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WF -9.5, Cal +9.5; Over/Under: 53.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WF -9.5, Cal +9.5; Over/Under: 52.5 points
Season Record
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: 5-1 (3-1) (2nd place, ACC)
California Golden Bears: 3-3 (2-1) (7th place, ACC)
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Recent Form
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: won their last game on the road against the North Carolina State Wolfpack 38-14.
California Golden Bears: won their last game at home against the Virginia Tech Hokies 25-20.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs California Golden Bears Preview and Analysis
Wake Forest is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 3-1 record in their conference games too. They are 2-1 in their home games, 3-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against NC State 38-14. Gio Lopez was the starting QB and he completed 26/33 passes for 303 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Deuce Lawrence led the team in rushing yards with 46 and 1 TD. Jack Foley led the receivers with 156 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 1 TD. Vincent Firenze led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while Langston Hardy led the defense in sacks with 1.5. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
California is entering this game with a 3-3 record overall and they have a 2-1 record in their conference games too. They are 2-2 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Virginia Tech 25-20. Jackson Brousseau was the starting QB and he completed 29/43 passes for 321 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Ashten Emory led the team in rushing yards with 46 and 2 TDs. Ian Strong led the receivers with 97 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Isaiah Crosby led the defense in that game with 10 tackles while Solomon Williams, JD McKinley, and Jericho Johnson each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Wake Forest vs California Prediction
The current betting odds have California listed as a 9.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. California hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 3-3 record overall, but their 2-1 conference record has them in the top half of the ACC. They haven't looked great on their home field though with their 2-2 home record this season. Meanwhile, Wake Forest has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall and their 3-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the ACC. They have been a great road team too with their 3-0 road record this year. Wake Forest has really turned things around this season. They are coming off a 38-14 win over NC State in their last one and they have been rolling over teams lately. Their only loss this season was against Miami who has looked like the best team in the ACC and they didn't look terrible in that loss, being one of the few teams that Miami didn't really blow out. This isn't a great situation for them though, going across the country to play on the West coast. California hasn't really looked good this year, but they have looked a lot better since starting conference play. They are coming off a 25-20 win over Virginia Tech in their last one and that win is going to give them a ton of momentum. They should have their starting QB back too and this is going to be a big game for them against a newly ranked opponent with a chance to move to 3-1 in the conference. Wake Forest is still the better team here and they have been rolling lately, but this isn't a great situation for them with Cal looking a lot better lately and this could be a tighter game. The best way to place a bet here is on California to cover the spread in this game.
Wake Forest California Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (10:30 pm ET start time) is Wake Forest 28 California 24.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: 8-4 ATS in road games. 7-4 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 4-1 ATS versus poor rushing defenses - allowing 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more. 14-7 OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56.
California Golden Bears: 6-11 ATS in home games. 0-7 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 0-6 ATS after a win by 6 or less points. 6-1 OVER off an upset win as a home underdog of 7 or more.
Key Injuries
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: C. Hernandez (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Otieno (WR) Out - Undisclosed. N. Carr (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed.
California Golden Bears: K. Grayes (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Vargas (RB) Questionable - Leg. R. Walker (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Boscia (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Rogers (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Sagapolutele (QB) Questionable - Head. A. Mohammed (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"They were beating us at the line of scrimmage. I thought our offensive line responded. I thought our front game came to life." - Jake Dickert after his team’s win against NC State in their last game.
“That's exciting to see him running around like he was today. Ashten has been carrying that rock and inspiring the team the way he runs the ball and runs through contact.” - Tosh Lupoi after his team’s win against VA Tech in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
WR Meeks, Antonio
WR Hernandez, Carlos
WR Shanks, Kam
TE Loerzel, Will
QB Lopez, Gio
RB Clark III, Ty
California Golden Bears
WR Strong, Ian
WR Hendricks, Chase
WR Perry, Cooper
TE Mini, Mason
QB Sagapolutele, Jaron-Keawe
RB Mohammed, Adam
Statistical Leaders
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Passing: Gio Lopez (1,680)
Rushing: Deuce Lawrence (281)
Receiving: Carlos Hernandez (720)
Touchdowns: Gio Lopez (6)
California Golden Bears
Passing: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (1,180)
Rushing: Adam Mohammed (336)
Receiving: Ian Strong (396)
Touchdowns: Adam Mohammed (4)
Coaches:
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Jake Dickert (2nd season)
California Golden Bears: Tosh Lupoi (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
