Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
In one of the final non-playoff games of the 2025 bowl season, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Mississippi State Bulldogs clash in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The winner of this one will have their head coach showered in Duke’s mayonnaise, making this game a close rival when compared to what we see at the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The matchup also happens to be pretty interesting. Mississippi State shouldn’t really be in a bowl game at 5-7, but SEC schools always feel like they have a chance against the other Power Four conferences. But Wake Forest went 8-4 on the season. So, playing rather close to home, the Demon Deacons will feel like they should win this one. But overall, this could be a game that features some fireworks, so keep reading for our Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State betting preview.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of December 30, 6:30 pm ET; check out our DraftKings Betting Splits and Circa Betting Splits.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (-3, 53.5)
Friday, January 2, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN)
Mississippi State went 5-7 on the season, so this wasn’t a great football team this year. However, it is important to remember that this team faced SEC competition. The Bulldogs also happened to go 1-7 in the conference, meaning they won four games out of it — including one against a good Arizona State Sun Devils team. So, don’t make the mistake of reading too much into the record. Wake Forest won eight games on the year, but the team did so in a very weak ACC. Who knows what the Bulldogs would have done if they got to play the same schedule as the Demon Deacons?
One thing I do know is that I don’t trust either of these defenses. Wake Forest actually had a good year on that side of the ball, finishing 21st in the nation in EPA per play allowed (-0.115). However, Mateen Ibirogba, a very good defensive tackle, is transferring. The Demon Deacons could also be missing some other talented players. Also, the Bulldogs might not be able to stop anyone, but they can score. They were actually 28th in the nation in success rate on the ground (48.9%), and head coach Jeff Lebby should have his team ready to put up some points against Wake. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons are going against a Bulldogs team that couldn’t stop anyone this year, which is why they fired defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler and are set to bring back Zach Arnett.
These are also two teams that will be playing quarterbacks that can run, making things way harder on the defenses. Robby Ashford did some good things under center for Wake this year, and he should turn in a decent performance here. Meanwhile, I love the skill set of Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor, who rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. With some extra time to prepare for this game, there’s a chance he looks special in this game.
The Over also hit in four of the final five games that Mississippi State played in the regular season, and it also hit in the final three games that Wake Forest played. The Over was also 4-0 in the games the Demon Deacons played against teams that allow at least 5.9 yards per play this year.
Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State Mayo Bowl Prediction
I do lean Wake Forest in this game, as the Demon Deacons should have the crowd. They also had a better regular season, meaning better vibes heading into this showdown. However, the play I feel best about is the Over. I think this could be a very high-scoring affair.
Pick: Over 53.5 (-105)
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