Wake Forest vs Mississippi State Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction

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Team after team opted out of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, so Mississippi State said yes to face Wake Forest, and all of a sudden, we have what should be one of the better matchups of the bowl season – and it comes at the very end.

Just one of the first five Duke’s Mayo Bowls has been close, and the ACC is still looking for its first win in this thing. Wake Forest scored the most points of any loser, dropping a 42-28 loss to Wisconsin in 2020.

Wake Forest vs Mississippi State Prediction: What to Know for the 2026 Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Nov 1, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. © Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Mississippi State hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2022 – it used to be a regular on the circuit – and now there’s a chance for more practices, more fun, and more time logged in to get ready for next year.

This year’s team wasn’t bad. It lost seven of its last eight – all in the SEC – but it was feisty. It pushed Tennessee, Texas, and Florida in close, tough losses, beat Arizona State, and overall, it was a step forward after a historically bad 2-10 2024 run.

You’ll have to forgive Wake Forest for feeling a bit disrespected.

The 8-4 Demon Deacons had a nice first season under former Washington State head coach Jake Dickert. They were rolling with three straight wins and with six of their last seven, but they lost the regular season final at Duke.

This is the program’s first bowl games since 2002, and with a victory, it would be the second nine-win season since 2007.

How To Watch Wake Forest vs Mississippi State

Date: Friday, January 2, 2026
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
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Why Wake Forest Will Win

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert during the third quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. © Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

All things considered, there aren’t a ton of big losses through the transfer portal. Star running back Demond Claiborne opted out, but quarterback Robby Ashford is coming off a monster two-game run, throwing for close to 640 yards and five touchdowns.

He can run a little bit, too. No matter who’s carrying the mail, the offense will have a fun day against a leaky Mississippi State run defense that didn’t stop much of anything.

The few times the Bulldog run defense wasn’t getting ripped up were when the pass defense was being torched.

Wake Forest doesn’t have a killer ground game, but when it’s pumping out at least 130 yards, it does fine. The only two times it didn’t run well were in the ugly losses to Florida State and NC State. Those were 8-2 against everyone else, and both losses were close, tough fights.

Why Mississippi State Will Win

Nov 28, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Mississippi Rebels in the first half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. © Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Mississippi State will go fast, get the passing game moving, and it’ll push the Demon Deacon defense all game long.

Kamario Taylor is a 6-4, 230-pound running quarterback who pounded on Georgia for three touchdowns and ran for 173 yards and two scores against Ole Miss. He hasn’t been much through the air yet, and there might be a rotation, but he’s a load for the Demon Deacon line to deal with.

And it’s not like Wake Forest is pinpoint accurate.

The Demon Deacons can push the passing game down the field, but they need to run well to win. Their bigger overall problem is the turnover margin.

Turnovers aren’t always an issue, but they gave up two or more in six games and lost three of them. Mississippi State doesn’t do a ton to take the ball away, but it’s just aggressive enough to come up with a few big plays. However …

Wake Forest vs Mississippi State Prediction, Betting Lines

Can the Mississippi State O line block anyone?

The Demon Deacons bring the head from everywhere, with one of the best defenses in the ACC at coming up with tackles for loss. The Bulldogs are among the worst in the nation at keeping teams out of the backfield.

On the flip side, Wake Forest’s line is steadily solid, the run defense should hold up okay, and Mississippi State’s front won’t hold up at all in the second half.

It’ll still come down to a late field goal in a good late bowl that deserves a watch.

Wake Forest 27, Mississippi State 26
Line: Mississippi State -3, o/u: 53.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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