Wake Forest vs Duke Odds, Picks and Predictions: Blue Devils Handle Demon Deacons

It’s a quick turnaround matchup in the ACC tonight, as the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Duke is coming off a clubbing of the Boston College Eagles, giving it 13 wins over the last 15. Wake, meanwhile, snuck by NC State for its third straight victory.

Both teams played Saturday, so they’ll each have just a one-day turnaround for a game in which the Blue Devils are 6.5-point home favorites in the college basketball odds.

With each school still in play for the top seed in the conference, what wager should you be targeting? Check out my free Wake Forest vs. Duke college basketball picks, complete with the best bet for Monday, February 12.

Wake Forest vs Duke best odds

Wake Forest vs Duke picks and predictions

This matchup features two of the ACC's top-scoring offenses. Wake Forest averages 80.8 points per game, good for second in the conference and 37th in the NCAA. The Demon Deacons are just one slot ahead of the Duke Blue Devils, who average 80.7 points and rank 43rd in college hoops, overall.

The Demon Deacons have been pouring it on as of late, dumping NC State 83-79 last game. After falling behind by six at halftime, they outscored the Wolfpack by 10 in the second half to improve to 8-4 in ACC action, just a game behind Duke at 9-3.

During its three-game win streak, Wake has been averaging a healthy 87.3 points per game. Its defense has been solid, holding Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and NC State to an average of 66.7 points — four points better than its usual 70.4 mark.

We’ll see how this streak holds up against the Blue Devils, who, after losing to the third-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, have collected a pair of blowout wins — they crushed Notre Dame 71-53 before topping BC 80-65 on Saturday — before welcoming the Deacons tonight.

All five starters hit double-digit scoring, while their defense locked up the Eagles, limiting them to 40.7% shooting from the field, including a rough 5-for-26 mark from 3-point range, a 19.2% clip.

This will be the first of two matchups within the next two weeks, and Duke has owned this head-to-head of late, winning eight of the last 10. They’ve also reeled off a whopping 19 straight home wins over Wake.

This timing is unfamiliar territory for both teams, who have rarely had to play with just a day off between games. That's usually saved for NCAA Tournament action. Wake Forest is 0-2 in this scenario, while Duke has one win in one opportunity. 

However, the Blue Devils are a sparkling 9-2 when playing games against opponents with equal rest days, whereas the Deacons are just 7-6.

Duke’s home dominance in this series should continue tonight.

My best bet: Duke moneyline (-285 at FanDuel)

Wake Forest vs Duke same-game parlay

Duke moneyline

Jared McCain Under 13.5 points

Mark Mitchell Over 12.5 points

+297 at FanDuel

If you want to build a same-game parlay, targeting Jared McCain’s scoring line is a good start.

The freshman has been tagged with a 13.5-point total against Wake Forest, a number he’s failed to eclipse in each of his last two starts against BC and ND, scoring 11 points each time. McCain has had some good moments, no doubt, topping 20+ points against North Carolina, Clemson, and Pitt. Unfortunately, those are the only three times in the last 10 games that he’s topped 14 points, going Under the total in three of his last four games.

Duke’s showing a versatile and more distributed scoring attack of late, and that trend should continue. 

While McCain is a strong candidate to stay Under, teammate Mark Mitchell seems to be hitting a surge in his play. He scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting against the Eagles last game, which came after scoring 13 against Notre Dame.

That makes it two straight he’s topped the 12.5-point line set against Wake, a number he has hit in five of his last nine contests. Mitchell has found success against the Demon Deacons already when he scored 14 points in 32 minutes in a December matchup last season.

Look for Mitchell to play a prominent role in this one as well.

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

Wake Forest vs Duke spread and Over/Under analysis

The spread has not dipped below 6.5 points and has gone as high as Duke -7.5.

Both teams are hovering around the .500 mark against the spread, with Wake just 12-10-1 ATS, though it has covered in three straight matchups against the Blue Devils.

Duke has covered 12 of 23 games this season.

As for the total, you can still find point totals as low as 151.5, all the way up to 153.5. Wake has seen the Over go 14-9-0 in their games this season, while Duke has an Over mark of just 11-12-0.

Wake Forest vs Duke betting trend to know

Duke has won 26 of its last 27 home games against unranked opponents. Find more college basketball betting trends for Wake Forest vs. Duke.

Wake Forest vs Duke game info

Wake Forest vs Duke key injuries

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