Missouri-Wake Forest Gasparilla Bowl Odds, Lines, Spread and Betting Preview

Wake Favorite is a slight favorite over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl.

Author:
Kyle Wood
Publish date:
Dec 19, 2022

In this story:

Wake Forest and Missouri have never met in the 100-plus year history of the two programs. That changes Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl and it should be a close one with the Demon Deacons favored by a point in an ACC vs. SEC matchup.

The Tigers won their last two games of the regular season to reach bowl eligibility for the second consecutive year. while Wake Forest lost four of its last five following a 6–1 start.

Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman, one of the nation’s top passers, doesn’t intend to return to the team next season—whether he’ll transfer or declare for the draft is unknown—but he is playing against the Tigers with the conference passing touchdown record in reach. His connection with receiver A.T. Perry, who caught a team-high 11 touchdowns this year, is one to watch.

Missouri’s offense is nowhere near as dynamic as its opponent’s, but it has the edge in the run game and on defense.

Missouri-Wake Forest Gasparilla Bowl Odds

Wake Forest Straight-Up Record: 7–5
Wake Forest Against the Spread Record: 7–5

Missouri Straight-Up Record: 6–6
Missouri Against the Spread Record: 7–5

Odds and Betting Insight

These teams have identical records against the spread (ATS) for the season, though the Tigers have covered their last two games and the Demon Deacons have covered just once over their last five. Missouri is 5–2 ATS as an underdog and Wake Forest is 5–5 as a favorite.

Even though the Demon Deacons own the 15th-highest scoring offense in the FBS, only five of their games have hit the over. Tigers’ games have done so four times and the last three games have hit the over after only one of their first nine did so.