Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-5 SU, 8-3-1 ATS) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (7-5 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)
College Football Bowl Season Belk Bowl
Date and Time: Friday, December 29th, 2017 1:00 PM EST
Where: Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC
TV:ESPN
by Keith F., Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: WF -3 / TAMU +3
Over/Under Total: 64.5
The Belk Bowl pits the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Southeastern Conference. This match-up is bound to cultivate a lot of intrigue as many argue they are the two best conferences in college football, presently. The representatives from each conference are two middling constituents. This years edition will feature the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Texas A&M Aggies. The two teams have not crossed paths as of recent. The contest will come live from the home of the Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fixture will be televised on ESPN and broadcasted on Friday, December 29th, 2017 with a kick-off time of 1:00 PM EST.
The two teams enter on identical win-loss records on the year. Wake Forest in particular started off their season at 4-0 before running into a heap of trouble down the backstretch. After navigating a brutal ACC schedule, the Deacs found themselves going 3-5 after their good start to end off their season. Their last contest was a loss in the Tobacco Row Rivalry when Duke came to Winston-Salem and handed the Deacs a 31-23 loss. Previous to this, Wake Forest generated an impressive showing by defeating NC State at home 30-24. The Wolf Pack were as high as the top-15 in some polls this season. Wake Forest also owns wins over Louisville and Appalachian State to round off their resume.
For the Aggies, they come in with their former Head Coach Kevin Sumlin sacked. The firing of Sumlin casts a shadow of uncertainty around this football team as it heads into this contest. The fact that Sumlin got aboard the coaching carousel before this bowl game, reflects a pessimistic position by A&M as it heads into this bowl. The Aggies latest result produced a 45-21 loss at LSU to end the regular season. The Aggies were apart of what many called the best game of the 2017 season when Texas A&M squandered a 34-point deficit to Josh Rosen and the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl. The comeback was nothing short of spectacular. Unfortunately, the Aggies were on the losing end of the miracle.
Presently in this market, we have noticed action on Wake Forest. This is reflected in a half-point line move upward from the open of this market. However, consensus forum data and analytics offer contraindications. 67% of the cash and 89% of the tickets are with the Aggies. It is worth noting that the Aggies are the underdog in this bowl but it has a feel that they are actually the favorite. In Over/Under markets, the number has risen by half of a point to its current junction of 64.5.
It is hard to justify to backing a team whose house is not in order. This is the case with the Texas A&M Aggies. Frustration is likely at its peak with the fan base and various players that comprise this outfit. It is hard to gather whether or not the Aggies will show up to this bowl or not. For Wake Forest, this game is a quasi-home fixture given the fact it is in its home state. This is Wakes second consecutive bowl bid in after ending a five-year drought. Last year, Wake was delighted in earning a berth to the Military Bowl and handing the then American Athletic Conference Champion Temple a 34-26 loss. Chances are you can expect the Deacs to relish the fact they are playing a SEC team and have the luxury affording their fan base a journey that is not by any means too difficult to travel. Motivation levels and morale will be the deciding factor for this contest. Wake has plenty of reason to bring their A-Game in this affair be that they can finish their campaign on a high note with an eighth win. Wake has not finished with eight wins in nine years. A bowl victory and achieving said benchmark will provide plenty of momentum heading into next year for this program. Swallow the points.
Keiths Pick to Cover the Point Spread: WAKE FOREST -3 – Where are you betting this game? Wanna bet it for FREE? Simply deposit $100 to $1000 at MyBookie! and use promo codePRDCT14 and they will match your deposit with FREE PLAY loot!