The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-5) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (15-3) on Monday, January 22nd. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs North Carolina Tar Heels
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons Are Coming Off A Win
Wake Forest has been much better at home this season, going 12-2 compared to 1-3 on the road. They are also 12-2 when favored, but just 1-3 as underdogs. So far, they have gone 5-2 in ACC play and 13-5 overall.
As for their road record, they have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games away from home, including a 1-4 mark in their last five. Their average scoring margin on the road is -2.2 compared to +15.1 at home.
Wake Forest’s ATS mark this season is 10-7-1, and they are 1-3 vs. the spread on the road. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Demon Deacons are 4-6 ATS.
So far this season, the over/under record for Wake Forest games is 11-7. Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (146.6). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points and their OU record during that span is 2-1. On the season, nine of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line of 154.5.
The North Carolina Tar Heels Are Coming Off A Win
North Carolina has been dominant at home this season, going 10-1 with an average scoring margin of +19.2 points per game. The Tar Heels have won six straight at home and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games at home.
Overall, North Carolina has won eight straight games and is 15-3 on the season. They are a perfect 7-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play and have been favored in 16 of their 18 games, going 14-2 in those contests.
Against the spread, North Carolina has gone 11-7 this season. At home, the Tar Heels are 6-5 vs. the spread and have gone 2-1 in their last 3 home games vs. the spread.
North Carolina’s over/under record for the season sits at 10-8 and the average scoring total in their games is 152.8. So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s over/under line of 154.5. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total across those games is 155 points.
Wake Forest Offense Breakdown
Wake Forest is fresh off a strong offensive showing, putting up 90 points versus Louisville. This output is higher than their season-average of 81.1 points per game. Offensively, the Demon Deacons have a season long field goal percentage of 47%, which is 72nd in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 39th in percentage and 49th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Sallis (G) | 17.7 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Kevin Miller (G) | 17.4 | 2.7 | 4.2 |
| Cameron Hildreth (G) | 15.3 | 4.3 | 2.9 |
North Carolina Offense Breakdown
Against Boston College, the North Carolina had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 83.4 points per game. They scored 76 points and posted a field goal percentage of 44.6% in the game. Offensively, the Tar Heels have a season long field goal percentage of 45%, which is 179th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 135th in percentage and 164th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Davis (G) | 20.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
| Armando Bacot (F) | 14.6 | 10.4 | 1.5 |
| Harrison Ingram (F) | 12.4 | 7.8 | 2.6 |
Wake Forest Team Defense
At this time, the Demon Deacons’ defense is positioned 113rd in the country, permitting 69.8 points per game. Wake Forest’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Louisville offense to knock down 50% of their shots on their way to putting up 65 points.
North Carolina Team Defense
At this time, the Tar Heels’ defense is positioned 103rd in the country, permitting 69.3 points per game. North Carolina’s three-point defense is currently 113rd in the country at 6.8 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 39.9% of their shots vs. North Carolina.
Demon Deacons vs Tar Heels Trends
- Although Wake Forest has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 80 points per game in these games.
- In their last ten games at home, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 71 points per game in these contests.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Demon Deacons have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
- As the betting favorite, the Tar Heels have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 5-0.
Demon Deacons vs Tar Heels Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Tar Heels vs. Tar Heels game, we suggest taking the Tar Heels at -8.5. Even though our predictions have the Tar Heels winning 75-69, we see the Demon Deacons as the better choice on the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 154.5 and our model has the Demon Deacons and Tar Heels finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 22, 2024 North Carolina Tar Heels, Teams, Wake Forest Demon Deacons