North Carolina Tar Heels vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/21/25

Looking to win big? The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN. The Demon Deacons are hosting the game at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC. North Carolina is favored by -1.5 in this Atlantic Coast conference matchup the against Wake Forest. The over/under for the game is set at 147.5 points.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS VS WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Wake Forest Demon Deacons +1.5

This game will be played at Lawrence Joel Coliseum at 9:00 ET on Tuesday, January 21st.

WHY BET THE WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Demon Deacons.
• Not only will Wake Forest pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 147.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Can North Carolina Lock in a Road Win?

North Carolina fell to 12-7 on the season after a narrow 72-71 loss to Stanford on Saturday. The Tar Heels were -11.5 favorites at home but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 143 fell short of the 153.5 O/U line.

UNC led 36-35 at halftime but couldn’t pull away, scoring 35 points in the second half while allowing 37. The loss raises questions about their ability to close out games, especially as heavy favorites.

North Carolina put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 42.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, with a 50% success rate on two-point shots (18/36) and just 27.8% from beyond the arc (5/18). At the free-throw line, they connected on 83.3%, hitting 20 of 24 attempts.

Maxime Raynaud led the way with 25 points and 13 rebounds, despite shooting just 33.3% overall and 25% from three. Jaylen Blakes added 20 points and 7 assists, shooting 53.8% from the field. RJ Davis contributed 19 points, hitting 42.9% of his threes (3/7) and dishing out 5 assists.

North Carolina’s defense gave up 72 points, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field on 23 of 54 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 18 of 36 shots to fall, a 50% success rate.

From three-point range, the Tar Heels held their opponent to 5 of 18 shooting, or 27%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 20, shooting 83%. North Carolina allowed 5 offensive rebounds.

Can the Demon Deacons Offense Score Enough at Home?

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recent Game/Games

Wake Forest improved to 14-4 on the season with a 72-63 road win over Virginia Tech on Saturday, January 18th. The Demon Deacons entered the game as 4-point favorites and covered the spread with the victory.

Wake Forest led 31-29 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Hokies 41-34. The total points for the game were 135, just under the 137.5-point O/U line.

Wake Forest put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 45.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. They connected on 31.6% of their threes, going 6-for-19, and hit 52.6% of their two-point attempts (20-for-38). At the free-throw line, they were 14-for-17, shooting 82.4%.

Hunter Sallis led the way with 24 points, shooting 58.8% overall and 42.9% from three (3-for-7), while also grabbing 7 rebounds. Cameron Hildreth added 21 points, hitting 53.8% of his shots, and Jaden Schutt contributed 12 points, matching Sallis with 3 threes on 42.9% shooting from deep.

Wake Forest held their opponent to 63 points on 40% shooting from the field, with the defense allowing 21 made field goals on 52 attempts. Inside the arc, the Demon Deacons gave up 15 two-point baskets on 33 attempts, a 45% success rate for their opponent.

From three-point range, Wake Forest’s defense limited their opponent to 6 made threes on 19 attempts, a 31% shooting performance. The Demon Deacons also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 15 of those attempts, shooting 78%. Wake Forest allowed 9 offensive rebounds.