Wake Forest vs Boston College ACC Tournament Picks and Predictions: Eagles Wake Up

After earning a dominant win over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday, the 13th-seeded Boston College Eagles will look to give the Wake Forest Demon Deacons a run for their money. When these teams met during the regular season, Wake Forest won by 30 points as a 10.5-point home favorite. 

Will the Eagles find a way to make things a bit more competitive against the Demon Deacons on a neutral floor? Check out our Boston College vs. Wake Forest college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday, March 9. 

Wake Forest vs Boston College odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

After beating Pittsburgh yesterday, Boston College opened as a 9-point underdog against Wake Forest. That, however, has been knocked down to 9 or 9.5 in some spots. And the total, which opened at 143 is now down to 142 elsewhere. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.

Wake Forest vs Boston College predictions

• Prediction: Boston College +10 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 143 (-110)
• Best bet: Boston College +10 (-110)

Predictions made on 3/9/2022 at 8:20 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Wake Forest vs Boston College game info

• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
• Tip-off: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Wake Forest at Boston College betting preview

Injuries

Wake Forest: Grant Van Beveren F (Out).
Boston College: No injuries to report. 

Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.

Betting trend to know

Wake Forest is 1-4 against the spread in its last five neutral-site games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Wake Forest vs. Boston College.

Wake Forest vs Boston College picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Spread analysis

Boston College shot 25.4% from the floor and 24.0% from three when these teams met earlier in the season. Wake Forest’s defense is good, but it isn’t that good. The Demon Deacons are 53rd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com) this year. That’s not good enough to make a Division I team look like it’s playing bantam ball. Look for the Eagles to play a bit better this time around, especially after getting their feet wet in a win over the Panthers yesterday. 

Led by a group of solid guards, Boston College shot 53.5% from the floor and 46.7% from three against Pittsburgh last game. The Eagles also forced 14 turnovers and really did a nice job of packing the paint. Makai Ashton-Langford had only nine points in the victory, but he is capable of playing better than that and can be counted on to show up against the Demon Deacons. DeMarr Langford Jr., who had 12 points against Pittsburgh, and Jaeden Zackery are also guys that can make things happen on offense. 

It would be massive for Boston College in this game if James Karnik had another good game. The center had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists against Pittsburgh, and he has now scored in double figures in each of his last eight games. Karnik had only four points against Wake Forest on January 24, and he was pretty much unplayable in that game. However, with his confidence now through the roof, perhaps a solid performance is what the Eagles need to keep things close. Wake Forest center Dallas Walton has had 42 points over the last two games, and Karnik needs to find a way to come close to matching his production. 

The Eagles also need to do a solid job of keeping their arms straight up on defense. The Demon Deacons were second in the ACC in free throw attempts per game, so Boston College needs to make sure it doesn’t let Wake Forest live at the line here. On top of that, the Eagles need to have eyes on Alondes Williams at all times. He’s one of the best guards in the ACC and can break this game open in a hurry with his ability to make plays for himself and his teammates. 

Prediction: Boston College +10 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

The Eagles are a better defensive team than they showed when they let the Demon Deacons shoot 53.7% from the floor and 40.0% from the outside in their only meeting during the regular season. Look for Boston College to come out with a lot of adrenaline and really ratchet up the defensive pressure. The Eagles know that they need to make the Demon Deacons uncomfortable early on, and that could ultimately be a great thing for Under bettors here. 

Over the last three seasons, the Under happens to be 6-1 when Boston College is trying to avenge a loss in which its opponent scored 85 or more points — the Eagles also happen to be 6-1 against the spread in those games. The Under is also 1-3 in games that Steve Forbes has coached against opponents that shoot 31.0% or worse from behind the 3-point line after 15+ games. 

You should expect some high-scoring spurts in this contest, but some sloppy moments will ultimately do Over bettors in. 

Prediction: Under 143 (-110) 

Best bet

Wake Forest should ultimately advance to the next round of this tournament, but Boston College does have a small advantage coming into this one. Getting to test the courts at the Barclays Center again is a positive for the Eagles, who played here yesterday shouldn’t be too tired just yet. Look for them to get out to a fast start, and don’t be surprised if they hang around for a majority of the first half. Then, the Demon Deacons can pull away after they finally get comfortable. But with a spread this large, the Eagles are the team to back. 

It should also be noted that Boston College is 2-1 ATS in neutral-court games this season, and they’re also facing a Wake Forest team that is 0-3 ATS when playing at a neutral site this year. The environments can be tricky to get used to, which is another reason that the Demon Deacons might take a little while to start playing as well as we’re used to seeing them. 

Pick: Boston College +10 (-110)

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