Wake Forest vs Louisville Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 26, 2026
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons visit the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, September 26, at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, with the opening kickoff scheduled for 12:00 PM ET on ESPN. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the ACC after a 33-20 loss to Miami. The Louisville Cardinals are 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC after beating SMU 41-31. Check out our free NCAAF picks.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview
Wake Forest is averaging 32 points through three games, with 297.7 passing yards and 137 rushing yards per game. Gio Lopez has completed 66 of 105 passes for 887 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Ty Clark III leads the ground game with 144 yards and one touchdown, while Deuce Lawrence has 124 yards and one score. Carlos Hernandez has been the top receiving threat with 21 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Antonio Meeks has added 134 yards and a touchdown.
The Demon Deacons are allowing 28.3 points per game after surrendering 16 to Akron, 36 to Purdue and 33 to Miami. Wake Forest has six sacks but has yet to record an interception. Langston Hardy leads the pass rush with two sacks, while Gabe Kirschke and Kadear Dembele have one each. Vincent Firenze leads the defense with 26 tackles, followed by Aiden Hall with 22. Wake Forest has forced one fumble and recovered two through three games.
Injuries: WR N. Carr is out with an undisclosed injury. QB Gio Lopez is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
Sign Up Get $30 Premium Picks Credit + Exclusive Offers
Subscribe Now
Louisville Cardinals Preview
Louisville is averaging 46 points through three games, with 286.3 passing yards and 229 rushing yards per game. Lincoln Kienholz has completed 48 of 73 passes for 816 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. Keyjuan Brown leads the Cardinals with 231 rushing yards and two touchdowns while averaging 12.8 yards per carry. Isaac Brown has added 164 yards and one score. Tre Richardson leads Louisville with 243 receiving yards, while Lawayne McCoy has 226 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cardinals are allowing 28.3 points per game after giving up 41 to Ole Miss, 13 to Villanova and 31 to SMU. Louisville has three sacks, three interceptions, four forced fumbles and two recoveries. Kaleb Beasley leads the defense with 22 tackles and two interceptions, while Stanquan Clark has 16 tackles and one interception. Clev Lubin and Tyler Thompson share the team lead with 1.5 sacks each. Lubin has also forced two fumbles.
Injuries: WR P. Cook is out with an undisclosed injury. OG A. O'Neal is questionable with an undisclosed injury. WR M. Quisenberry and WR K. Hughes are out with lower-body injuries.
Wake Forest vs Louisville Prediction
Both teams have produced strong passing numbers, but Louisville has added 229 rushing yards per game and 11 rushing touchdowns to a passing attack averaging 10.7 yards per attempt. Wake Forest can challenge the Cardinals through the air, especially with Hernandez averaging 15.3 yards per catch, but Lopez’s questionable status is important for an offense built around his production. Louisville has also avoided interceptions through three games and enters after scoring 41 against SMU. The Cardinals will use their balanced offense to take control at home and win by multiple scores. Final Score Prediction: Louisville Cardinals win, 40-21.
Betting on College Football?
- Bet with other College Football fans at the best sportsbooks
- Sign up today and get started with the latest college football sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Get $250 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 5 days
New DraftKings Customer: SPEND $5, GET $200 IN BONUSES
Best Picks
- Louisville Cardinals -12.5
- Over 58.5
