Wake Forest vs. SMU Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Neither side projects a clear way in. Wake Forest and SMU rate within touching distance on every unit matchup here, closest on first and second down — on this evidence it comes down to the things a season profile cannot see.
The two teams
Wake Forest
Wake Forest throws it: Jake Dickert's offenses have been heavily pass-leaning across 5 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 4th at stuffing runs at the line. The way in is 110th at staying on schedule through the air, and they are 106th on first and second down.
On fourth down he goes for it more often than his peers do from the same spots (+4.6%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −15.2% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Wake Forest has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensegetting stopped at the line#4projected
- Offensehitting chunk plays#6projected
- Defensestaying on schedule through the air#16projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensestaying on schedule through the air#110projected
- Offensefirst and second down#106projected
SMU
SMU throws it: Rhett Lashlee's offenses have been pass-leaning across 4 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 11th at defending the run.
On fourth down he goes for it more often than his peers do from the same spots (+3.0%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −27.5% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
SMU has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defenserunning it#11projected
- Offensethrowing it#17projected
- Defenseturning trips inside the 40 into points#18projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (SMU Elo 1728, WAKE Elo 1513 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects SMU -12.1 (77% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
WAKE30th39thSMUSMU3rd68thWAKEThrough the air
WAKE31st33rdSMUSMU1st107thWAKEOn the ground
WAKE45th82ndSMUSMU106th90thWAKEStaying on the field
WAKE49th2ndSMUSMU20th122ndWAKETaking care of it
WAKE1st45thSMUSMU105th107thWAKE
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| WAKE | SMU | |
|---|---|---|
| +12.4 (#31) | CORE overall | +18.0 (#16) |
| +4 / -8 | offense / defense | +11 / -7 |
| 3.70 | points / drive | 2.70 |
| 1.70 | allowed / drive | 2.18 |
| 0% | three-and-outs | 0% |
| +7 | pass over expected | +7 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Wake Forest vs. SMU?
Gridpex's model favors SMU with a 77% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Wake Forest vs. SMU?
The model projects SMU by 12.1.
What time is Wake Forest vs. SMU and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →