The North Carolina Tar Heels look to snap a two-game losing streak when they visit the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a key ACC contest on Tuesday night. North Carolina has been up and down this season and is coming off a road loss to Duke on Saturday that dropped it into seventh place in the ACC college basketball standings.
Wake Forest snapped a four-game losing streak – including three straight two-point setbacks – with a rout of Notre Dame on Saturday and is tied for eighth in the conference with Syracuse, just a half-game behind the Tar Heels.
This should be one of the most intense NCAA basketball games today, with both teams needing a win to improve their chances of being one of the good March Madness bets. Let’s take a closer look at the contest before we make our NC Tar Heels vs Wake Forest prediction.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Matchup Information
North Carolina Tar Heels vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Location: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC.
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 7, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN+
Recent Scores
The NCAAB schedule had these two teams playing just a month ago, with the North Carolina Tar Heels coming out on top by nine points at home. The victory gave the Tar Heels nine wins in their last 11 matchups against the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest has been better at home, however, going 10-2 this season and winning the last two matchups against North Carolina at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Demon Deacons routed the Tar Heels 98-76 in the only matchup between the teams last season.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Analysis
North Carolina Tar Heels’ Quest for ACC Dominance
The North Carolina Tar Heels standings in the ACC is usually closer to the top, and they were one of the top college basketball picks to win it all this season after a runner-up finish in 2021-22. To live up to those expectations, however, the Tar Heels need to turn things around in a hurry.
One of the top college basketball players in the country is North Carolina forward Armando Bacot, who is averaging a double-double of 17.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Bacot was a key part of the team’s run to the championship game a season ago, and he’ll need to be at his best as the Tar Heels try to make a run down the stretch.
Guard Caleb Love can be extremely dangerous when he gets hot from the perimeter, but his 3-point shot has been off this season, as he’s hitting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. Love is still averaging 16.3 points along with 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Tyree Appleby Leads Wake Forest Demon Deacons to Victory
A look at the Wake Forest Demon Deacons stats starts with the play of senior guard Tyree Appleby, who leads the team with 18.0 points and 6.0 assists per contest. Appleby is coming off a near-triple-double in the win over Notre Dame on Saturday, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Junior forward Andrew Carr will need to play big in this game against a tall North Carolina front line. The 6-10 Carr is averaging 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and had 16 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the first meeting with the Tar Heels.
The college basketball injury report does not contain any new developments for this game, as the only players listed for these teams have been ruled out for the season for a little while now.
Odds Breakdown
North Carolina Tar Heels
Spread: Despite the outcome of the first matchup between these teams, the NCAAB odds aren’t giving any advantage to the visiting Tar Heels, with the game being a pick ‘em. North Carolina has struggled on the road this season, entering this game with a 2-5 record on an opponent’s home floor.
Over/Under: The Tar Heels can really get it going when they get hot offensively, with an inside-outside attack few in college basketball can match. The over/under number of 77½ points is right at the team’s season average of 77.6 points per game, and North Carolina is facing a team that allows over 70 points per contest.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Spread: This NC Tar Heels vs Wake Forest prediction really comes down to who you think will win the game, since neither team is getting or giving any points. Wake Forest has played better at home, which might give it the edge in this one.
Over/Under: The Demon Deacons are averaging 77.4 points a game this season, which is right at their 77½-point over/under number. Wake Forest has scored 77 or more points in three of its last four games, so reaching that mark again wouldn’t be a surprise.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Pick and Prediction
Pick 1: The NC Tar Heels vs Wake Forest prediction to make for this game is taking the home team. Wake Forest has played great at home this season, while North Carolina has struggled on the road and is slumping right now.
Pick 2: This should be a high-scoring game between two NCAA basketball teams that can light up the scoreboard but also have trouble stopping the opposition. For those reasons, go with the over of 155 points for this game.
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