The North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, NC. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Wake Forest is favored by 1 point on the spread with a moneyline of -115. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here are my UNC vs. Wake Forest predictions and college basketball picks for January 21, 2025.
College Basketball Odds: UNC vs Wake Forest
| UNC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -115 | 147.5 -110 / -110 | -105 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -105 | 147.5 -110 / -110 | -115 |
- UNC vs Wake Forest spread: Wake Forest -1
- UNC vs Wake Forest over/under: 147.5 points
- UNC vs Wake Forest moneyline: Wake Forest -115, UNC -105
- UNC vs Wake Forest best bet: UNC ML +100
My UNC vs Wake Forest best bet is on the Tar Heels moneyline, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
North Carolina vs Wake Forest NCAAB Betting Preview
North Carolina lost to Stanford? Yes.
You may have missed the result amidst all the Saturday mayhem, but the Tar Heels sit at 12-7 overall and 5-2 in ACC play.
They'll need to start rattling off wins to remain in the NCAA Tournament picture.
If the Tar Heels' fearsome backcourt plays well, that could lead to a long night for Wake Forest.
It's shocking to see RJ Davis struggling so much. He's not Caleb Love-level streaky, but he's known for his ups and downs. However, Davis averages 17.3 points per game on 38% shooting and 28% from 3. It's the worst year of Davis' career in Chapel Hill, especially as a shooter.
The good news is freshman phenom Ian Jackson has morphed into one of the most consistent scorers in the ACC. He also provides a skill very few of his teammates provide — shooting.
Shooting has been a thorn in Hubert Davis' side all year. The Heels don't have a true sniper since Cade Tyson failed to take the role. UNC is shooting just 32% from downtown, and the only two rotation players hitting better than 35% from 3 are the youngsters — Jackson and Drake Powell.
Based on roster construction, UNC won't shoot it well either way, but Davis has to shoot better.
It just feels odd for a team with this much talent to rank No. 43 in offensive efficiency.
On the flip side, the Tar Heels' defense ranks No. 36 in defensive efficiency, and it's often the saving grace on the rough offensive nights.
Is Wake Forest actually a legit team in the ACC, or has it benefited from a lousy schedule? I lean towards the latter.
The Demon Deacons beat the four worst teams in the ACC — Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech and Syracuse — while topping NC State and Stanford in the process. None of those teams are NCAA Tournament-caliber, so I'm not moved by the Deacs feeding off the bad ACC squads.
While I could see North Carolina shooting better, I have zero faith in Wake Forest improving from downtown. The roster construction is strange, and the offense is struggling severely (152nd in offensive efficiency).
Shooting is the prime culprit for the offensive woes. Wake Forest hits just 28% from 3, putting it at 343rd in that category. Nobody on Steve Forbes' roster has a percentage better than 32%, yet the Demon Deacons attempt 3s on 38% of their field goal attempts.
Hunter Sallis has put the Superman cape on during league play. The star scorer went off for 20+ points in the past seven games and is 13-of-29 from 3 in that span.
To improve offensively, Wake Forest needs Cameron Hildreth and one of Juke Harris and Ty-Laur Johnson to aid Sallis.
We'll see if Wake Forest can make this game a rock fight. That's how this team needs to play to win, as it ranks 33rd in KenPom's defensive efficiency with a dazzling 21% turnover rate.
Plus, the stout interior duo of Tre'Von Spillers and Efton Reid III helps limit teams to 45% shooting from inside the arc.
UNC vs. Wake Forest Betting Analysis
I'm selling Wake Forest's stock.
The 14-4 record doesn't match the metrics. KenPom has Wake Forest No. 77th, and while beating bad teams is big for bubble teams, I don't think the Deacons have enough talent to beat good teams.
I still have faith that UNC will be good.
Pick: UNC ML
