The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9-4) travel to face off against the Syracuse Orange (6-6) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse and televised on ESPN2. Syracuse is coming off a win in their previous game, while Wake Forest is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Clemson. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Syracuse Orange

The Demon Deacons Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recent Game/Games

The Demon Deacons fell to 9-4 on the season after a 73-62 road loss to Clemson on Saturday. Wake Forest entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 40-31 at halftime, Wake Forest couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, scoring 31 points while allowing 33. The game’s total points of 135 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 134.5.

The Orange Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Syracuse moved to 6-6 on the season after a 75-63 win over Bucknell on Saturday. The Orange were -12.5 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 138 fell short of the O/U line of 147.5.

Syracuse led 43-31 at halftime and both teams scored 32 points in the 2nd half, leaving the Orange unable to extend their lead after the break.

Demon Deacons Offense Breakdown

Wake Forest managed just 62 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 52%, largely due to hitting only 23.1% from three-point range, connecting on just 3 of 13 attempts. Inside the arc, they were much more effective, shooting 59.5% on two-point attempts.

Hunter Sallis led the way with 26 points, hitting 11 of 15 shots, including 2 of 4 from deep. Chase Hunter added 16 points, making 4 of 7 threes, while Jake Heidbreder was 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, finishing with 15 points. The team had just 5 assists and 5 offensive rebounds in the game.

Orange Offense Breakdown

Syracuse put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 47.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. They connected on 58.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from deep, hitting just 30.4% of their threes (7/23). At the free-throw line, they shot 60.9%, making 14 of 23 attempts.

Josh Bascoe led the way with 22 points, knocking down 6 of 11 threes. Eddie Lampkin Jr. was efficient inside, shooting 87.5% (7/8) and grabbing 11 rebounds. Donnie Freeman also recorded 11 boards, adding 15 points and hitting 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Demon Deacons Team Defense

Wake Forest’s defense held their opponent to 73 points on 39% shooting from the field. They gave up 24 made field goals on 61 attempts.

From beyond the arc, the Demon Deacons allowed 10 threes on 31 attempts, a 32% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 16 times, where they converted 15 free throws for 93%.

Orange Team Defense

Wake Forest’s defense gave up 73 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 39% from the field on 24 of 61 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 14 two-point baskets on 30 attempts, a 46% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Wake Forest’s opponents hit 10 of 31 shots, shooting 32%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 15 for a 93% success rate. Wake Forest allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Demon Deacons vs Orange Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Demon Deacons have a straight up record of 1-9 while going 2-8 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 63 points per game in these contests.
• In their last three games at home, the Orange have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-1-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 69 points per game in these contests.
• The last ten games that Syracuse was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-5-1 while going 2-8 straight up.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Wake Forest has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 9-1 straight up.

Demon Deacons vs Orange Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +1.5, the Orange is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 144 and given that our model is projecting 145 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.