Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Predictions, Picks, and Odds: Offensive Struggle

The ACC tournament rolls into Round 2 with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons waiting for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

Notre Dame avoided a collapse to Georgia Tech in Round 1, blowing a 17-point lead to hang on for an 84-80 victory as a 1.5-point favorite and advancing in the ACC Tournament bracket. The Irish now have a quick turnaround and hope that offensive uptick can continue against one of the best offenses in the ACC.

Wake Forest ranks third in offensive efficiency in the conference, scoring an average of almost 79 points per game. The Demon Deacons stumbled to the finish line but did upset Clemson in the regular season finale to snap a three-game skid.

I break down the conference tournament odds for this ACC matchup and give my best college basketball picks and predictions for Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest on March 13.

Be sure to stay up to date with our March Madness odds as the spots begin to fill out!

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest best odds

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest picks and predictions

What the hell was that Notre Dame?!

The Fighting Irish have been a pop-gun offense all season, ranking at the bottom of the ACC in most offensive measurements. But even though Saint Patrick’s Day isn’t until the weekend, the luck of the Irish was on full display in the first half versus Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame shot 62% from the floor and tallied 45 points in the opening 20 minutes of Tuesday’s tournament opener – not too shabby for a team that averaged only 63.5 points for the season.

That offensive outburst against the Yellow Jackets has the Round 2 total coming in hot, opening as high as 137.5 points against Wake Forest. That number would be the third tallest total Notre Dame has drawn going all the way back to mid-December. 

The Demon Deacons are a respectable defense, ranked fifth in the ACC in defensive efficiency at KenPom, and will likely need to lean on the D with the way this offense misfires way from home.

Wake Forest scores almost 84 points per game as a host but take the team out of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the output drops 11.5 points. Sure, Wednesday’s ACC tournament tilt is a neutral-site matchup, but we’ve also seen Wake Forest post 72, 71, and 70 points on neutral courts.

These schools clashed in late February, with the Irish holding home court in a 70-65 win that just topped the closing total of 133 points. That was Wake Forest’s third-lowest-scoring output of the entire season.

Given the expected regression for the Irish offense and the fact they’re playing their second straight game, Notre Dame will try to set the tempo the way it wants it on Wednesday. And that’s slow. The Irish rank among the slowest paces in the land, sitting dead last in the ACC and 334th overall.

Game models are calling for a combined total between 134 and 135 points and we’ve already seen this total take a nose dive from 137.5 to as low as 136 points in the opening minutes of action.

My best bet: Under 136.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest same-game parlay

Under 136.5

Markus Burton Under 4.5 assists

Wake Forest moneyline

+250 at bet365

Notre Dame’s offensive eruption is a one-off and the Irish and the Deacs put in a dud of an effort on offense in the tourney opener.

Markus Burton has eight assists in a strange game against Georgia Tech, which was just the second time he’s recorded more than four dimes in the past seven games.

The Irish nearly let GT come back and clip them in Round 1. Wake Forest won’t take Notre Dame lightly in this Round 2 tilt.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest spread and Over/Under analysis

The opening odds installed Wake Forest as an 8.5-point neutral-site favorite for Wednesday’s Round 2 contest. 

Wake Forest is among several ACC schools on the NCAA Tournament bubble, thanks in part to a poor finish to conference play. The Demon Deacons went on a 2-5 SU (3-4 ATS) sputter before closing out the schedule with a big home win over Clemson. 

Wake Forest lost the solo meeting with Notre Dame this season, falling 70-65 as 6.5-point road chalk in South Bend on February 27. The Deacons aren’t great away from home, with a combined 3-11 SU record 4-10 ATS count in road/neutral games.

The Fighting Irish came out swinging against Georgia Tech and made 62% from the field in the opening half of Tuesday’s tournament opener. However, Notre Dame came back to earth in the final 20 minutes – looking more like the team that ranked dead last in the ACC in many shooting metrics.

The 84-point effort from the Irish was their third-highest-scoring output of the season and helped blow the closing total of 132 points out of the water. Among the standouts was guard Markus Burton, who finished with 21 points against the Yellow Jackets and scored a career-high 31 points against Wake Forest last month.

The Over/Under total opened as high as 137.5 points and quickly shrunk as low as 136 points, with early play on the Under.

Wake Forest enters the ACC tournament with a 19-12 Over/Under record, including an 8-6 O/U count away from home. The Demon Deacons enter the postseason on a 5-1 O/U run.

The Fighting Irish have gone Over in back-to-back outings, which is a pivot for one of the better Under bets in basketball. Notre Dame is 12-20 O/U on the season with a 6-9 O/U count in road/neutral games. 

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest betting trend to know

Notre Dame is 8-15 Over/Under when set as an underdog this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest.

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest game info

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest key injuries

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