Syracuse vs Wake Forest prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Syracuse Orange take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Syracuse Wake Forest prediction and pick. Find how to watch Syracuse Wake Forest.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Syracuse Orange have NIT-level resumes. They are both in a position where they need to win several games, not just one or two, in order to make a run at an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The problem for both teams is that the ACC is not an especially deep league this season with a lot of quality win chances. ACC bubble teams which fail to beat either North Carolina or Duke will have a hard time collecting enough high-value wins to make March Madness. Games between ACC bubble teams are must-win situations at this point. Teams with a lack of elite wins can't afford to drop games against bubble competitors who are relative equals. It will be tough enough for Syracuse and Wake to win the games they need to win to make the Big Dance. It will be even tougher if they lose games against other bubble teams; they will then have to make up extra ground, and with only one month until March, time is beginning to run short. Opportunities are beginning to dwindle. Realistically, neither team can afford to lose this game. It's part of the intensifying bubble situation in the ACC and around men's college basketball.

Here are the Syracuse-Wake Forest College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Syracuse-Wake Forest Odds

Syracuse Orange: +7.5 (-110)

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: -7.5 (-110)

Over: 152.5 (-110)

Under: 152.5 (-110)

How To Watch Syracuse vs Wake Forest

Time: 7:45 pm ET / 5:45 pm PT

TV: CW Network

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Syracuse Could Cover the Spread

The Orange are getting 7.5 points against a less-than-fully convincing Wake Forest team which doesn't merit a whole lot of trust. The Demon Deacons have lost three of their last four games, and the only win in that sequence of four games was against bottom-feeding Louisville. Wake has not beaten a relatively good team in a few weeks (Virginia), and the Demon Deacons have had an absolutely terrible time closing down games. Wake Forest is not playing like an especially confident team, and when a bubble team keeps letting games slip away, a sense of panic can set in and negative patterns can snowball, leading to still more negative results. Wake Forest might manage to win this game, but Syracuse should certainly be able to stay close enough to cover the spread.

Why Wake Forest Could Cover the Spread

The Demon Deacons aren't playing especially well right now, but neither is Syracuse. The Orange have lost two of their last three, including a road loss at Boston College. The other point to keep in mind about Wake Forest is that while the Deacs have indeed lost three of their last four, their three losses in that stretch were all in road games. This game is at home, and one can very reasonably expect to see a different and better Wake Forest team in this game. Syracuse is not imposing enough to make Wake play poorly at home.

Final Syracuse-Wake Forest Prediction & Pick

Wake Forest is not a supremely trustworthy team, but Syracuse isn't playing well enough for that to matter. Take Wake.

Final Syracuse-Wake Forest Prediction & Pick: Wake Forest -7.5