Wake Forest vs North Carolina Odds: Heels Favored at Home
UNC Has Won 8 Straight by Double-Digits
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will be looking to end North Carolina’s eight-game winning streak when they visit the Tar Heels tonight. North Carolina has won all eight by double-digits. But Wake Forest will be a good test for the Tar Heels. The Demon Deacons (13-5) are 5-2 in ACC play, while North Carolina (15-3) is 7-0.
Wake Forest has struggled on the road so far, although it won’t have far to travel for this Tobacco Road rivalry game. The two schools are about 75 miles apart. The Wake Forest vs North Carolina odds have the Tar Heels favored by 7.5 and the total on the game is at 156.
Demon Deacons vs Tar Heels 
Day/Time:
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Wake Forest Suffering Road Woes
While the Demon Deacons are 13-5 on the NCAAB season, they’re just 2-5 on the road straight-up and ATS. The biggest reason for that is the team’s defense takes a vacation. Wake Forest is allowing 69.8 points per game for the year. But on the road that goes up to 78.9 points. The offense also scores fewer points, so it’s not a good combination.
The Wake Forest offense has been solid, averaging 81.1 points per game and shooting 47.8% from the field. The Deacons hit 39.3% of their 3-point attempts, ranking No. 12 in the NCAAB stats. Wake Forest is also one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country at 80.2%.
The Demon Deacons don’t grab many offensive rebounds and need to do a little better getting to the foul line. It’s tough to take advantage of foul shooting if you can’t get to the line.
The defense isn’t bad, holding teams to 42.6% from the field and allowing 69.8 points per game. Wake Forest is better defending the inside that the 3-pointer. Teams are shooting 32.9% on 3-pointers and 46.2% from inside the arc. The Demon Deacons do a fair job of forcing turnovers and are solid at not allowing offensive rebounds.
Tar Heels Tearing Up ACC
North Carolina isn’t a great shooting team. But the Tar Heels are averaging 83.4 points per game by keeping turnovers down, hitting the offensive boards and hitting foul shots.
North Carolina does a solid job of getting to the foul line and capitalizing. UNC is hitting 35.6% of its 3-pointers, but just 31.8% in ACC play. The Tar Heels have seen scoring come down a bit in conference play. But the defense has picked-up.
North Carolina is No. 4 in the KenPom defensive efficiency rankings and have been even better in ACC play. The Tar Heels allow 29.1% on 3-pointers for the season and 23.5% in conference. Teams are shooting 39.7% against North Carolina for the season. The Tar Heels don’t force a lot of turnovers but do a solid job of preventing offensive rebounds.
The Tar Heels are just 1-6 in totals in conference play, relying on the defense. It’s evident in their college basketball scores. UNC averages 152.7 total points per game, but just 140.6 in ACC games. North Carolina is 5-2 against the spread in conference games.
What to Expect
Wake Forest hasn’t really picked up the tempo in conference games, but the Demon Deacons are seeing more points. The shooting has been solid against fellow ACC teams and Wake Forest is 6-1 in ACC totals.
The one problem Wake Forest is having is getting back on defense. Teams are averaging 16 seconds per possession against the Deacons, which is the quickest of any NCAAB team in the conference.
The Tar Heels have slowed the pace slightly. But it isn’t making much difference. It’s UNC’s defense that has shown the biggest improvement in conference NCAAB games.
The 70 points allowed to Louisville is the most the Tar Heels have allowed in the ACC this season. The last three games between the two teams have seen a minimum of 167 points.
Who to Bet On?
The Wake Forest vs North Carolina odds of Tar Heels -7.5 is a pretty decent number. Wake Forest isn’t nearly the same team away from home and the Smith Center is a tough place for visiting teams. The Tar Heels are 8-0 straight-up, but just 4-4 ATS at home this year.
Wake Forest lost by five at Florida State and by seven at N.C. State, so it can play tough in ACC road games. But the Demon Deacons are still coming up short.
The Wake Forest vs North Carolina odds on the total are a little tricky considering the teams are heading different directions. But it’s far easier to trust North Carolina’s defense at home than it is Wake Forest’s offense on the road. The total is a bit on the high side, so the under 156 makes the most sense in this game.
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