Akron Zips at Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Thursday night in Winston-Salem opens the season for two extensively rebuilt rosters. With Wake Forest now required to clear four touchdowns, I’m taking the points.

Wake has a legitimate blowout path. Gio Lopez already knows Rob Ezell’s offense, Carlos Hernandez is an established target, and Wake’s more continuous defense faces an Akron offense replacing three starting linemen. Akron is also rebuilding its back seven, giving Wake a favorable matchup if its redesigned passing game operates cleanly.

The obstacle is asking Wake to produce that level of separation while returning only two offensive starters and introducing four new projected starters along the offensive line. The spread has already moved from Wake -24.5 to -27.5, turning a comfortable-win proposition into a four-touchdown requirement. Akron’s plus-three turnover margin versus Wake’s minus-six margin last season also identifies a credible way for the Zips to create the extra possessions that protect a large underdog.

Akron’s undisclosed quarterback assignment and extensive defensive turnover keep this from being a high-confidence play. Those same uncertainties, however, were already present as the market added three points to Wake’s price. I’ll take the expanded cushion and make Wake’s reconstructed offense prove it can sustain enough clean possessions to cover 27.5.