Duke's Mayo Bowl 2020: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Badgers did not appear to be on track for the Duke's Mayo Bowl after their first two games.
But a three-game skid resulted in Paul Chryst's side going 3-3 in the Big Ten and settling for a matchup with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Although the Badgers experienced a disappointing finish to their conference campaign, they can use Wednesday's game in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a momentum booster for the 2021 season.
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Quarterback Graham Mertz is a freshman and can use the ACC-Big Ten clash as a stepping stone to a much more successful sophomore season.
Wake Forest comes into the Duke's Mayo Bowl on a two-game losing streak. They also had aspirations of qualifying for a better postseason game, but their four-game winning run was derailed at the end of ACC play.
Duke's Mayo Bowl Info
Date: Wednesday, December 30
Start Time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app
Odds
Spread: Wisconsin (-9)
Over/Under: 52.5
Moneyline: Wisconsin (-315; bet $315 to win $100); Wake Forest (+245; bet $100 to win $245)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Take Graham Mertz Over Sam Hartman
Both quarterbacks can use a good performance in the Duke's Mayo Bowl to propel them into a successful offseason.
However, Mertz is in line for more success than Sam Hartman because of the defense he will line up against.
Wisconsin allowed 263.5 total yards per game, which is close to 200 yards fewer than the total the Demon Deacons conceded in two additional games.
Although Mertz has not thrown for a touchdown pass in the last three games, he should find some success against Wake's defense.
Most of Mertz's troubles occurred against his ranked opponents. His worst performance was a three-interception day against the Northwestern Wildcats.
The freshman's first two games against the Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan Wolverines should be a better example of what to expect from him against a unit that let up 435.3 total yards per contest.
In Wake Forest's four losses, it allowed an average of 46.5 points and three of those concessions were 45 points or more.
Wisconsin posted 94 combined points in its first two victories, which happened to produce Mertz's best games.
If the Big Ten side takes advantage of its opponent's poor defense, Mertz could be the highest-scoring daily fantasy player.
Use Christian Beal-Smith As Best Wake Forest Option
Running back Christian Beal-Smith could be Wake's best option to negate the impact of Wisconsin defense.
The junior running back reached the 100-yard mark three times in eight games and had at least 11 carries in every contest.
Beal-Smith is expected to have a larger workload on Wednesday since Kenneth Walker III opted out late in the regular season.
Prior to Walker's opt-out, he produced 579 rushing yards on 119 carries. He scored the bulk of the team's ground touchdowns with 13.
Now that Beal-Smith is the primary back, he should receive plenty of chances to score if Wake marches into the red zone.
If Beal-Smith is productive with the double-digit carries he should have, he could be a nice complement to Mertz in DFS lineups.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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