Roll With Duke To Hand Visiting Wake Forest Another Loss
The Wake Forest vs Duke Preview Has the Host Blue Devils As Single-Digit Favorites
Nationally Ranked Duke Is Favored to Win Extend Home Streak vs Wake
A pair of college basketball teams fighting out for top spots in the ACC are set to square off in the first of two games in less than two weeks when Duke welcomes Wake Forest to town. The Wake Forest vs Duke preview has the host Blue Devils favored once again versus Wake Forest as the Blue Devils eye their 21st straight home win against Wake Forest.
According to the college basketball odds, the Blue Devils are the seven-point favorites with -310 odds to win outright. Wake Forest is priced at +256 to pull off the upset.
Dating back to 2007, Duke has been favored in every game against the Demon Deacons. During that stretch, Duke is 15-0 at home against Wake Forest.
This is just the fourth time in those 15 games that the Blue Devils have been favored by less than 10 points at home against Wake Forest. The Blue Devils covered in two of the previous three times that took place.
When looking at the odds to win March Madness, Duke is tied for 10th at +2500 while Wake Forest is well back at +25000 in the championship odds. Duke (+500) trails only North Carolina in the odds to win the ACC title with Wake Forest coming in at +4000 in the ACC title odds.
Duke is 17th in the NCAA NET rankings with the Blue Devils hurt by an 0-2 record in Quad 2 games. Wake Forest, 0-3 in Quad 1 games, is 35th in the NCAA NET rankings and that is very much in bubble territory when it comes to selecting at-large teams for the NCAA tournament bracket.
Keep on reading for more about the matchup between Wake Forest and Duke.
Wake Forest vs Duke 
Day/Time:
Records: Wake Forest (8-4 in the ACC)/Duke (9-3 in the ACC)
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Wake Forest vs Duke Game Information
Matchup: Wake Forest 16-7 (8-4 in the ACC) at Duke 18-5 (9-3 in the ACC)
Date/Time: Monday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
TV & Live Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Demon Deacons Are Pretty Tame Away From Home
If those who bet online are wondering why Wake Forest is just 2-5 on the road this season and has covered in only two of the last 10 road games, take a look at the splits for some of the best college basketball players for the Demon Deacons.
Leading scorer Hunter Sallis averages 20 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers at home. In seven road games, the numbers fall to 15.1 points, 42% shooting, and 28% accuracy on 3-pointers.
Kevin Miller is shooting 41% from the field and 25% on 3-pointers in road games compared to 49.5% from the floor and 39% on 3-pointers at home.
The other two double-digit scorers Austin Hildreth and Andrew Carr are also more productive players at home than on the road. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Wake Forest vs Duke preview.
Wake Forest won its most recent road game but before that had dropped four straight road games.
The total has gone over in 11 of Wake Forest’s last 14 games.
Duke Looking To Get Defensive
Since allowing 93 points to rival North Carolina to fall further behind in the ACC race, Duke has started to tighten things up on defense.
The last two opponents have shot just 37% from the field and went 12-for-53 from 3-point range. Certainly facing Boston College and Notre Dame teams that are a combined 7-18 in the ACC and 0-7 against ranked teams has helped with some of those numbers.
The Blue Devils lead the ACC in scoring margin and are fourth in scoring defense. That could play a role in the Wake Forest vs Duke preview.
That defense could be tested by a Wake Forest team that is third in the ACC with 197 made 3-pointers and is second with 38% shooting from 3-point range.
The opponent has shot a higher percentage on 3-pointers in each of the Blue Devils’ three conference losses this season.
The total has gone under in four of Duke’s last five games.
Last Meeting
Freshman Kyle Filipowski had five points in a span of eight seconds to give the host Duke Blue Devils some breathing room late in the Jan. 31, 2023 game. Wake Forest did score the final seven points to cover as eight-point underdogs in Duke’s 75-73 win.
Tyree Appleby’s 3-pointer that just beat the buzzer did send the game over the 147.5-point total. It was the fourth time in the last five NCAAB matchups between the Demon Deacons and Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium to land over the total.
Wake Forest vs Duke Betting Preview
Duke and Wake Forest are first and second in the ACC in field-goal percentage so keep that in mind when looking at the 152.5-point total. If the total stays there, it would be the highest number for a Duke-Wake Forest game in the last seven meetings.
The total has gone over in nine of Wake Forest’s last 12 games against ACC teams.
Wake Forest is tied with Clemson and Florida State for the ACC lead with 14 games landing over the total this season. Eight of Duke’s 14 home games went over the total.
Duke is 12-2 outright as a home favorite this season and 28-2 over the last two seasons. Wake Forest has lost 12 of its last 13 games as the road underdog.
Wake Forest has covered in each of its last three games against Duke with the last two matchups going over the total.
When looking at the college basketball schedule, this is the first of four straight games against teams with winning records for both Duke and Wake Forest.
Five of Wake Forest’s seven road games went over the total.
It is pretty hard to go against Duke playing at home, especially against a Wake Forest team that hasn’t won in Durham since 1997.
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