Rutgers vs Wake Forest Odds, Pick
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | +145 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | -175 |
We head out to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a Big Ten-ACC clash. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will look to build off of their win against Florida last week when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Wake Forest is one of the teams I circled in the preseason to be a breakout squad, and so far, it's exceeded expectations. I'm intrigued to see how this team performs when they get star guard Damari Monsanto back.
As for Rutgers, it looked uncharacteristically bad defensively at home against Illinois on Saturday. Usually, Steve Pikiell's team is nails in this situation, but that wasn't the case on Saturday.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
This offense is a huge reason why the Scarlet Knights don't look like an NCAA tournament team, so they'll need to start figuring things out quickly.
As of today, they're amongst some of the worst teams in the nation in field goal percentage.
They find themselves outside the top 220 in 3-point, 2-point and free-throw shooting. This is bad news heading into Winston-Salem against a very good offensive team.
Rutgers loves to slow the tempo down in an attempt to turn its contests into grinders. It's going to be a tough task in this game, though, considering Wake is a top-50 offensive unit in the entire country.
Forwards Aundre Hyatt and Gavin Griffiths have to be better from beyond the arc, as they're both shooting 31% from 3 this season.
I knew the defense was going to be on par with Rutgers' standards, but I didn't expect this offense to be so pitiful.
It's early, so the Scarlet Knights could easily turn this around quickly, but I have doubts about them turning it around in this game, even with plenty of open looks from beyond the arc.
Wake doesn't defend the perimeter particularly well, which will allow the Scarlet Knights to have plenty of chances.
Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are 12th in Adjusted Efficiency, despite their poor performance on Saturday. They defend inside the arc extremely well and have been able to force an ample amount of turnovers.
They're about average defending the 3, so they can't afford to allow open looks like they did on Saturday. Illinois shot 9-of-21 from beyond the arc, and Wake is fully capable of replicating those numbers.
Clifford Omoruyi will be able to control the inside, as I wouldn't expect many shot attempts from Wake in that area. He's been a nightmare for opposing offenses thus far.
I trust this group's defense, but I'm having a hard time envisioning consistent offense in this game. The Scarlet Knights are also way better at home, so this may not be the game to break out of their slump.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Editor's Note: Efton Reid III has received his waiver from the NCAA and is eligible for this game.
I realize I've been high on this team since the preseason, but there's good reason for it. The Deacons took care of business in their last matchup against Florida, thanks to a great performance from their offense.
The backcourt tandem of Cameron Hildreth and Hunter Sallis has been sensational, as both of them are shooting nearly 43% from deep.
There isn't many weaknesses on this team, and the Deacons are bound to get better when Monsanto gets back. They're 54th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, including 12th in free-throw percentage.
I expect the Scarlet Knights to give this offense a bit of trouble — especially on the inside — but I've already mentioned Rutgers' main defensive deficiency is defending the perimeter. That's where I expect Hildreth and Sallis to go to work.
Wake's offense will probably have a feeling-out period at the beginning of this game against Rutgers' defense, but I would expect Wake to eventually figure it out. Luckily, the Knights' offense might not be able to keep up.
Things haven't been perfect on the defensive end for Wake, and I have a fear it's going to get killed on the boards. The Deacons have already struggled to grab second possessions on offense, but defensive rebounding has been a problem, too. Wake is ranked below 220 in both offensive and defensive rebounding.
I'm not panicking about this defense — due to the matchup — but this offense will have to show up against a very good defensive Rutgers squad. I think Wake has enough talent to overcome this, and I give it the edge, especially since it's home.
Ready to get in on the Wake Forest betting action in North Carolina? You’ll soon be able to join in on NC sports betting, as the state is expected to come online in 2024.
Rutgers vs. Wake Forest
Betting Pick & Prediction
Normally, this would be a big let-down spot after a big win over a formidable SEC opponent, but I really like the Demon Deacons in this game. If Rutgers' offense was slightly better than it's shown so far, I would probably consider backing it instead.
I have absolutely no faith in Pikiell's team to generate any sort of offense, especially on the road. It's no secret that Rutgers plays way better at home.
This Wake team is simply too talented, and it's had enough of a layoff to avoid the classic flat spot after a big win. Rutgers will still show up stingy on the defensive end, so the Deacons will need to continue their success on offense.
I'm higher on this Wake team than most, but this offense is too good and should find plenty of success on the perimeter in this game.
Pick: Wake Forest -2 (Play to -3)
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