The California Golden Bears are underdogs against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, according to the latest college football lines and odds offered by sportsbooks.
Cal v. Wake Forest college football betting pick, odds and lines: Who is favored to win?
According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest college football betting odds for Cal v. Wake Forest is between Cal +9.5 and Cal +10, as of Thursday afternoon.
The Cal +10 line implies the California Golden Bears are about 10-point underdogs against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest point totals for Cal v. Wake Forest college football “over-or-under” total score bets is between 52.5 and 53.5 points, as of Thursday afternoon.
The Cal +10 line and 53.5-point total imply the California Golden Bears will lose to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons with a scoreline of about 22-32.
According to data independently collected by Write for California, the latest Cal v. Wake Forest college football “moneyline” ranges between Cal +275 and Cal +295 and Wake Forest -345 and Wake Forest -385, as of Thursday afternoon.
Moneyline bets pay out based on the Cal v. Wake Forest college football game’s result, regardless of any point “spread” handicap or margin of victory.
A bet on Cal’s most favorable moneyline of Cal +295 pays a $295 profit on a $100 bet, and a wager on Wake Forest’s most favorable moneyline of Wake Forest -345 requires a $345 bet to earn a $100 profit.
Cal v. Wake Forest college football: What you should know
The California Golden Bears are 3-3 in the 2026 college football season, including a 2-1 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 5-1, including a 3-1 record in league games.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the coaches poll. Wake Forest is the first top-25 opponent for California this season.
The California Golden Bears is 2-3 against the spread in the 2026 college football season, while the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 4-2.
Cal has had two games finish with an “over” result and three games’ point totals end with an “under” result in the 2026 college football season. Wake Forest had three games over and three games under their projected point totals this season.
The California Golden Bears and Wake Forest Demon Deacons have only played each other previously. The last match-up was a Cal victory at Wake Forest on Nov. 8, 2024, a 46-36 win in the Golden Bears’ inaugural season as an ACC member.
Last weekend, Cal defeated Virginia Tech at home, 25-20, with backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau. The Golden Bears’ star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was out last week for an injury and is listed as probable this week.
In its last game, Wake Forest beat its in-state rival, North Carolina State, 38-14. The Demon Deacons were down at halftime, 10-14, but scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to come out on top. Wake Forest earned a top-25 ranking after the win.
According to Vegas Insider, which analyzes and aggregates sportsbooks’ offered odds and lines, the Cal v. Wake Forest college football line opened early this week at about Cal +8.5.
Vegas Insider reports the Cal v. Wake Forest moneyline opened at about Cal +250 and Wake Forest -310. The Cal v. Wake Forest total opened at about 53.5 points, unchanged from the total offered as of Thursday afternoon.
According to Vegas Insider’s analysis, 58% of bets on the Cal v. Wake Forestcollege football game with a point spread have been on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, while 98% of Cal v. Wake Forest moneyline bets have been on Wake Forest. Vegas Insider also reports that 56% of total score bets have been on the over.
The odds aggregator reports that 69% of all dollars bet on Cal v. Wake Forest with a point spread have been on Wake Forest, 89% of dollars bet on the Cal v. Wake Forest moneyline have been on Wake Forest and 57% of dollars bet have been on the over, as of Thursday afternoon.
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If JKS adapts well to the new offense and if Cal somehow comes up with a reasonable running game, we have a (long) shot at winning this one. If not, it could be a disappointing evening for Bear fans. WF is a damn good football team so I am not optimistic about Cal’s chances if the offense stalls and it’s left to the defense to even our chances.
Ratings and Rankings
ESPN SP+ 87 (up 1 spot) (90 offense, 76 defense, 127 special teams) WF = 35
Football Power Index 75, up 7, predicted record 4.9-7.1, 27% chance to win 6 games WF= 22
The Athletic’s ranking: #65. Up 7 spots, VT=22
Sagarin: Rank = 68, up 13 (WF=29)
Using predictor ratings, Wake Forest is 7.5 favorite
Masse composite (83) rankings - 76 (up 16), range 55-96 (WF = 19, Notre Dame #1)
Colley’s bias free index (my personal favorite, no priors, but now all connected) = 102 !?
(Wake Forest = 14,, Notre Dame #1, UCLA #2!)