The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Wake Forest North Carolina prediction and pick. Find how to watch Wake Forest North Carolina.
The North Carolina Tar Heels struggled at times in the month of November. A talented roster didn't immediately come together this season, raising fears that UNC would once again have a rocky road to March. North Carolina's previous two regular seasons in 2022 and 2023 were frustrating and uneven. Head coach Hubert Davis had to prove he could put the pieces together in the regular season. He had a great NCAA Tournament run in 2022, but enabling a team to mesh properly over several months is something which had eluded Davis, Roy Williams' recommended successor as Carolina basketball coach. Skeptics lingered, as a Carolina basketball season entered December under uncertain footing.
Then things began to change. North Carolina's defense had been woefully and profoundly inadequate under Davis in previous seasons. North Carolina lacked both toughness and consistency. Occasional offensive struggles meant losses and crises for UNC in previous years under Davis. This season, the defense has been good enough to keep the Tar Heels in games when the offense wasn't fully polished or precise. North Carolina is winning the gritty, blue-collar road ACC games which slipped through its fingers in 2022 and 2023. The identity of the team is clear, and the cohesion on the floor has greatly improved. Hubert Davis now stands on very solid footing as UNC's head coach. It really does seem he has settled into the job and owns a greater sense of how to manage a roster.
Here are the Wake Forest-North Carolina College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Wake Forest-North Carolina Odds
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: +8.5 (-118)
North Carolina Tar Heels: -8.5 (-104)
Over: 155.5 (-110)
Under: 155.5 (-110)
How To Watch Wake Forest vs North Carolina
Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Wake Forest Could Cover the Spread
The Demon Deacons are getting 8.5 points. They might not win the game, but they could lose this game by eight points and cover the spread. Wake Forest is an NCAA Tournament bubble team. The Demon Deacons know how big a game this is for them. They badly need a win to improve their overall profile as we approach the last week of January and head into the crunch-time month of February. Wake Forest's determination to win this game might not lead to an outright victory, but it should certainly enable the Demon Deacons to keep the game close. Motivation and desperation are powerful factors for college basketball teams, and Wake has them on its side in this contest.
Why North Carolina Could Cover the Spread
The Tar Heels are a lot better than Wake Forest. Wake lost on the road at North Carolina State last week, and the Deacs have had an inconsistent ACC season to this point. It's why they are a bubble team. North Carolina is playing like a top-10 team in the country. The roster has come together. Players understand their roles. Hubert Davis is pushing the right buttons. Playing at home, North Carolina is in a good position to drill the Deacs by 15 points.
Final Wake Forest-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
The North Carolina basketball program, after struggling for years, has hit its stride. Expect Carolina to play a great game and win by 12 to 15 points.
Final Wake Forest-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: North Carolina -8.5
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