The Mike Krzyzewski farewell tour continues with the legendary coach leading the Duke Blue Devils into battle against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Tuesday night.
The Demon Deacons have been winning this season and look poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. That said, they'll be in tough against a National Championship contender like Duke, who is installed as a 10.5-point favorite at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight.
Here are our best free Wake Forest vs. Duke picks and predictions for college basketball betting action on February 15, with tipoff at 7 p.m. ET.
Wake Forest vs Duke odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line hit the board with Duke as a 10.5-point favorite with the Over/Under at 147.5. Early money has come in on Wake Forest and the Over, shifting the line by half a point to Duke -10 while the total has surged up to as high as 150.5.
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 Duke predictions
Predictions made on 2/15/2022 at 11:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Wake Forest vs Duke game info
• Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
• Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Wake Forest at Duke betting preview
Injuries
Wake Forest: Grant Van Beveren F (Questionable).
Duke: None.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-1 in Wake Forest's last six games versus a team with a winning percentage above .600. Find more NCAA betting trends for Wake Forest vs. Duke.
Wake Forest vs Duke picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Blue Devils are ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and are coming off back-to-back double-digit wins on the road, most recently dismantling Boston College 72-61 on Saturday. They are 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS in their last eight games and have the sixth-best odds of winning the National Championship.
Wake Forest is fresh off a 76-72 loss to Miami on Saturday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Demon Deacons were hammered 76-64 by Duke at home on January 12 in a contest where they allowed the Blue Devils to shoot a sizzling 51% from the floor and forced just seven turnovers. Since that defeat, Wake has gone 7-2 SU and ATS with a 22-point rout of North Carolina and a road win against Virginia.
The Demon Deacons have a high-powered offense that ranks fourth among all Power Five programs with a 49.1 FG%. Guard Alondes Williams leads the way with 19.8 points and 5.2 assists per game while forward Jake LaRavia is putting up 14.4 ppg on 57.5% shooting.
That said, Wake Forest hasn't been quite as consistent on the defensive end of the floor. Besides getting lit up by the Blue Devils last month, the Deacons surrendered more than 90 points to both Syracuse and Miami in January and also allowed the Hurricanes to shoot 52% from the floor on Saturday.
The Blue Devils have looked strong on both ends of the floor, ranking 10th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, while sitting 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Duke has a very well-balanced team that blends young talent with experience and has multiple players who score from different spots on the floor.
This is a significant spread when you consider how competitive the Deacons have generally played against top competition but we saw them struggle at home against Duke and now they'll be in hostile territory. They also turn the ball over way too much, which will allow the Blue Devils to jump out into transition and get easy buckets. We're ever-so-slightly leaning towards Duke on the spread.
Prediction: Duke -10 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
These teams combined for just 140 points when they previously met with Wake shooting just 2 for 16 from deep in that contest.
While some positive regression in that department seems likely, the Blue Devils are one of the best teams in the country at defending the 3-ball (holding ACC foes to a 26.6 3PT%) and the Deacons shoot a modest 33.1% from beyond the arc on the road, so don't expect a big difference.
Although both teams are efficient on offense, this is a very high total when you consider Duke has seen its scoring numbers drop off in conference play and is one of the best defensive teams in the country.
With center Mark Williams and his 3.0 blocks per game patrolling the paint, the Blue Devils do not allow teams easy looks inside. Duke is holding foes to 39.7% shooting in conference play and has allowed just 62.1 ppg in its last eight games.
With the Under 5-1 in the Deacons' last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600, take the Under tonight.
Prediction: Under 150.5 (-110)
Best bet
We mentioned Duke has been scoring at a lower clip since conference play began. While the Blue Devils 75.1 ppg against ACC opponents is still impressive, that's a far lower number than their 86.1 ppg in 11 non-conference contests.
Wake Forest plays at a fast pace — and has shown cracks on defense at times — but still limits ACC foes to a respectable 69.2 ppg on 40% shooting.
The Deacons also don't allow many second chances, ranking 12th in the country with 26.9 defensive rebounds per game, and they limited the Blue Devils to just four offensive rebounds when they previously met.
The Blue Devils' team total is set at 80.5 tonight, a total they've surpassed in just three of 14 conference games this season. And two of those 80+ point performances came against UNC and North Carolina State, who are the two worst defensive teams in the conference. Take the Under on Duke's team total.
Pick: Duke team total Under 80.5 (-115)
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Use our college basketball parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
