North Carolina Tar Heels vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our North Carolina vs Wake Forest NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Winston-Salem.

North Carolina vs Wake Forest Prediction

Planning on watching today's Tar Heels and Demon Deacons game? Catch the action at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC, as the Demon Deacons hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN. North Carolina come into this Atlantic Coast conference matchup as the -1.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 147.5 points.

North Carolina vs. Wake Forest Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: North Carolina Tar Heels at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Where: Winston-Salem at Lawrence Joel Coliseum
Date: Tuesday, January 21st
Betting Odds NCAR -1.5, NCAR -113 | WAKE -109 O/U 147.5

Tar Heels Preview: Do the Tar Heels Have What it Takes on the Road?

North Carolina Tar Heels Recent Game/Games

North Carolina’s season record dropped to 12-7 after a narrow 72-71 home loss to Stanford on Saturday. The Tar Heels entered the game as -11.5 favorites but failed to cover the spread.

UNC led 36-35 at halftime but couldn’t pull away, scoring 35 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. The total points for the game were 143, falling short of the 153.5 O/U line.

Tar Heels Offense Breakdown

North Carolina managed 71 points in their last game, shooting 42.6% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range, hitting 5 of 18 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, and they connected on 50% of their two-point shots, going 18 for 36.

At the free-throw line, the Tar Heels were efficient, making 20 of 24 attempts for an 83.3% success rate. They recorded 14 assists and 5 offensive rebounds. Maxime Raynaud led the team with 25 points, despite shooting just 33.3% overall and 25% from deep, while Jaylen Blakes contributed 20 points and 7 assists, hitting 53.8% of his shots.

Tar Heels Team Defense

North Carolina's defense gave up 72 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 42% from the field. They conceded 18 two-point baskets on 36 attempts, a 50% success rate for the opposing team.

From beyond the arc, North Carolina held their opponent to 5 made threes on 18 attempts, a 27% shooting percentage. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 20 free throws, an 83% rate. North Carolina limited second-chance opportunities, giving up just 5 offensive rebounds.

Demon Deacons Preview: Will Wake Forest Find a Way to Win 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. The Demon Deacons, who were -4 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

After leading 31-29 at halftime, Wake Forest outscored the Hokies 41-34 in the second half. The game’s total points of 135 fell just under the O/U line of 137.5.

Demon Deacons Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Wake Forest put up 72 points, shooting 45.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. They connected on 31.6% of their threes, hitting 6 of 19 attempts, and were strong from the free-throw line, making 82.4% of their shots (14/17).

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

Demon Deacons Team Defense

Wake Forest held their opponent to 63 points, with a defensive effort that limited them to 40% shooting from the field. The Demon Deacons allowed 21 made field goals on 52 attempts.

From beyond the arc, the opposing team shot 31%, hitting 6 of their 19 three-point attempts. Wake Forest also sent them to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 15 free throws for a 78% success rate.

Tar Heels vs Demon Deacons Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although North Carolina has a straight up record of 4-1 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs. the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 74 points per game in these games.
Across the Demon Deacons last ten home games, the team averaged 67 points per game while allowing 73. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 3-7, while going 3-7 straight-up.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Wake Forest has an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.
Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Tar Heels have an overall record of 2-1 while going 1-2 against the spread.