Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Minnesota vs Wake Forest NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lake Buena Vista.

Minnesota vs Wake Forest Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Golden Gophers versus the Demon Deacons? Tip off is at at 1:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN2. The game will be played at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 130 points, and Wake Forest is favored by -2.5 at home against Minnesota.

Minnesota vs. Wake Forest Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Where: Lake Buena Vista at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Date: Friday, November 29th
Betting Odds WAKE -2.5, MINNST +119 | WAKE -146 O/U 130

Golden Gophers Preview: No Pressure for Minnesota as Away Dogs

Minnesota dropped a close one at home to Wichita State on Thursday, losing 68-66. The Golden Gophers were +2 point underdogs going into the game, and the final score resulted in a push against the spread.

After trailing 25-24 at halftime, Minnesota outscored the Shockers 33-32 in the second half but couldn’t complete the comeback. The total points for the game were 134, falling just under the O/U line of 138.

Golden Gophers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Minnesota's offense struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 23 attempts for a 13% three-point shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 41.5% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 43.1%. Their two-point shooting was a bright spot, as they connected on 57.1% of their attempts inside the arc.

At the free-throw line, the Golden Gophers shot 52.9%, making 9 of 17 attempts. They grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 18 assists. Harlond Beverly led the team with 16 points, while Lu'Cye Patterson added 14 points and 6 assists, despite shooting 2 of 10 from three-point range.

Golden Gophers Team Defense

Even with Minnesota giving up 68 points, their defense held strong from beyond the arc, limiting their opponent to just 3 three-pointers on 23 attempts, a 13% success rate. The Golden Gophers also caught a break at the free-throw line, where their opponent shot only 52%, making 9 of 17 attempts.

Inside the arc, Minnesota had a tougher time, allowing their opponent to shoot 57% on two-pointers, with 24 makes on 42 attempts. The Golden Gophers also gave up 13 offensive rebounds, providing extra opportunities for their opponent.

Demon Deacons Preview: Does Wake Forest Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recent Game/Games

Wake Forest fell to the Gators 75-58 on Thursday. The Demon Deacons were +8 point underdogs going into the game and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 133, falling short of the O/U line of 152.

Wake Forest trailed 32-28 at halftime but struggled in the second half, allowing 43 points while scoring just 30. Improving their second-half defense will be key for the Demon Deacons moving forward.

Demon Deacons Offense Breakdown

Wake Forest struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 58 points on 37.5% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 39.3%, and they hit only 3 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc, finishing with a 15% three-point shooting rate. At the free-throw line, they were more efficient, making 13 of 15 attempts for an 86.7% success rate.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the team with 21 points, though he shot just 33.3% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range. Alijah Martin contributed 16 points, hitting 40% of his threes, while Cameron Hildreth added 15 points despite missing all 4 of his three-point attempts. Tre'Von Spillers was a force on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with his 14 points.

Demon Deacons Team Defense

Wake Forest gave up 75 points in their last game, allowing their opponent to shoot 39% from the field on 23 of 58 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 48% shooting, with the other team making 15 of 31 two-point shots.

From three-point range, Wake Forest's defense held their opponent to 29% shooting, as they hit 8 of 27 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 21 for 77%. Wake Forest also allowed 15 offensive rebounds.

Golden Gophers vs Demon Deacons Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 6-4 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 2-8 overall in these games.
Although Wake Forest has a straight up record of 0-5 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-5. The team averaged 65 points per game in these games.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Golden Gophers have gone 5-4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
The last ten games that Wake Forest was favored, they have an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 8-2 straight up.