Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Syracuse Orange NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/31/24
Looking to win big? The Demon Deacons and Orange face off at 2:00 ET on ESPN2. The Orange are hosting the game at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY. Wake Forest is favored by -1.5 in this Atlantic Coast conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 144 points.
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS VS SYRACUSE ORANGE BETTING PICK
The Pick: Syracuse Orange +1.5
This game will be played at JMA Wireless Dome at 2:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.
WHY BET THE SYRACUSE ORANGE:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Orange.
- Not only will Syracuse pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 144 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Are Wake Forest Ready for a Road Win?
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recent Game/Games
Wake Forest fell to 9-4 on the season after a 73-62 loss to Clemson on Saturday. The Demon Deacons were +8.5 point underdogs going into the game and didn’t cover the spread.
Trailing 40-31 at halftime, Wake Forest couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, scoring 31 points while allowing 33. The game’s total points of 135 just went over the line of 134.5.
In their last game, Wake Forest put up 62 points, shooting 50% from the field. They connected on just 3 of 13 three-point attempts, hitting 23.1% from deep, while their two-point shooting was a strong 59.5% (22/37). At the free-throw line, they made 9 of 12 attempts, good for 75%.
Hunter Sallis led the way with 26 points, shooting 73.3% overall and 50% from three. Chase Hunter added 16 points, hitting 57.1% from beyond the arc. The Demon Deacons finished with just 5 assists and 5 offensive rebounds in the game.
Wake Forest’s defense gave up 73 points but held their opponent to 39% shooting from the field, with a 46% success rate on two-point attempts (14/30).
From beyond the arc, their opponent shot 32%, hitting 10 of 31 threes. Wake Forest also sent them to the line 16 times, where they converted 93% of their free throws.
Can Syracuse Lock in a Home Win?
Syracuse evened their record at 6-6 with a 75-63 win over Bucknell on Saturday. Playing at home, the Orange were -12.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 138 fell short of the O/U line of 147.5.
Syracuse led 43-31 at halftime and matched Bucknell’s 32 points in the 2nd half, resulting in a push for the final 20 minutes.
Syracuse put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 47.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. They hit 58.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.4% of their threes. At the free-throw line, they made 60.9% of their attempts.
Josh Bascoe led the way with 22 points, hitting 6 of 11 from three-point range. Eddie Lampkin Jr. was efficient inside, shooting 87.5% and grabbing 11 rebounds. Donnie Freeman also added 11 boards, while Jaquan Carlos dished out 9 assists.
Despite Syracuse’s defensive efforts, they gave up 63 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 47% from the field, including 58% on two-pointers (20/34). From beyond the arc, Syracuse held their opponent to 30% shooting, with 7 made threes on 23 attempts.
Syracuse sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 14 attempts for 60%. The Orange also struggled on the boards, giving up 15 offensive rebounds.