Louisville Cardinals vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24
The Cardinals and Demon Deacons are set to face off at 12:00 ET on ESPNU. The Demon Deacons will host the game at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC. The odds for this Atlantic Coast conference game currently have the Demon Deacons as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 152.5 points.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS VS WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Louisville Cardinals +15.5
This game will be played at Lawrence Joel Coliseum at 12:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.
WHY BET THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-69 in favor of the Demon Deacons.
- Even though we have Wake Forest winning straight-up, we like Louisville at +15.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 152.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.
Does Louisville Stand a Chance on the Road?
Despite being 1-9 on the road this season, Louisville will look to end their two-game losing streak as they are 15.5-point underdogs against Wake Forest. So far, they have gone 5-2 when they are the underdog.
After their 86-70 loss to North Carolina, the Cardinals’ record stands at 6-11. They have gone 1-5 in ACC play compared to their 5-6 non-conference record. Over their last 10 road games, they are just 1-9.
As the underdog, Louisville has been solid vs. the spread this season, going 5-4-1. Over their last three games as the underdog, the Cardinals have a perfect ATS record of 3-0. On the road, Louisville has an ATS mark of 3-2 this year and they are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Today’s over/under line of 152.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Louisville’s games this season (146.6). So far, 10 of their 17 games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1.
In their previous game, the Cardinals’ offense finished with 70 points, which is right in line with their current average of 73.6 points per contest. The team’s top scorer is Skyy Clark, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 14.3, while Mike James also carries a PPG average of 13.9 into the game.
Coming into the game, Louisville will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 77.1 points per game (266th). The Louisville defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 86 points and allowed North Carolina to connect on 10 threes.
Will Wake Forest Make it Happen at Home?
Wake Forest enters this game as the favorite, as they have been in 13 of their 17 games this season. Their record as the favorite is 11-2, and they have gone 11-2 at home compared to 1-3 on the road.
At home, the Demon Deacons have been dominant, going 11-2 with an average scoring margin of +14.4 points per game. They have won nine straight games at home and are 9-1 in their last 10.
At home this season, Wake Forest has gone 8-4-1 against the spread and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games as the favorite. Over their last three home games, the Demon Deacons are 2-0-1 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 152.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Wake Forest games this season (146.3). So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1.
In their recent game, the Demon Deacons’ offense concluded with 76 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 80.6 points per contest. Kevin Miller is leading the team in scoring at 17.8 points per contest. Hunter Sallis has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 17.6 going into the game.
At present, the Demon Deacons’ defense is nationally ranked 124th, allowing 70.1 points per game. Wake Forest’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the North Carolina State offense to knock down 53% of their shots on their way to putting up 83 points.