Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (15-3)
January 22, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: North Carolina Tar Heels -8.5; Over/Under: 154.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will play the North Carolina Tar Heels in an ACC game on Monday night at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Wake Forest has alternated wins and losses in their last five games, while North Carolina is on an eight game winning streak. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Wake Forest vs North Carolina prediction.
Wake Forest Preview
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 13-5 (5-2) this year after they defeated Louisville by a score of 90-65 in their last game. Wake Forest led 48-33 at halftime and they were able to cruise to the easy win. The Demon Deacons shot 50% from the field and made 18 three pointers in the game. Wake Forest lost to NC State by a score of 83-76 in the game prior to Louisville, but did beat Virginia by a score of 66-47 in the game before. The Demon Deacons are scoring 81.1 points per game with 35.1 rebounds per game and 12.8 assists per game, while allowing 69.8 points against per game this season. Hunter Sallis is averaging 17.7 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. Wake Forest is shooting 47.7% from the field, 80.1% on free throws, and 39.3% on three pointers this year.
North Carolina Preview
The North Carolina Tar Heels are 15-3 (7-0) this season after they defeated Boston College by a score of 76-66 in their last game. North Carolina led 34-31 at the half, but they scored 42 points to pull away in the second half for the win. The Tar Heels shot 44.6% from the field and were +15 in rebounding margin in the game. North Carolina has won eight games in a row, with notable wins against Clemson, Oklahoma, and NC State. The Tar Heels are scoring 83.4 points per game with 41.2 rebounds per game and 14.4 assists per game, while giving up 69.3 points against per game this year. RJ Davis is averaging 20.2 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 3.7 rebounds per game. North Carolina is shooting 45.5% from the field, 76.2% on free throws, and 35.6% on three pointers this season.
Wake Forest vs North Carolina Betting Prediction
North Carolina comes into this matchup on an eight game winning streak and they are one of the hottest teams in the entire country. The Tar Heels have won their last five games by margins of 10, 16, 36, 13, and 10 points, while scoring 83.4 points per game this season. Wake Forest has had a solid start to the year, but they have been a little inconsistent in their last five games. Wake Forest has lost their last two road games against NC State and Florida State, which is not a good sign here. I think North Carolina is going to have another big day on the offensive end of the court and I like them to win by double digits.
