The Miami Hurricanes take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Miami is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a price of 52-cents to win and the total set at 155.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here’s my Miami vs. Wake Forest prediction and college basketball picks for January 7, 2026.
Miami vs Wake Forest Prediction
My Pick: Miami ML
My Miami vs Wake Forest best bet is on the Hurricanes to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Miami vs. Wake Forest Odds, Spread
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Miami vs Wake Forest NCAAB Betting Preview
Miami Basketball
The Hurricanes are flying under the radar nationally, but first-year head coach Jai Lucas is off to a great start in Coral Gables.
Miami is 12-2 start to the season, entering game two of ACC play ranked 38th nationally by KenPom, up from its preseason ranking of 76th.
The Canes have taken care of business against lesser competition, and their two losses have both come against top 15 squads on neutral courts (Florida and BYU).
A large part of their success has been due to their dominance in and around the basket on both ends of the floor. This group ranks 32nd nationally in defensive efficiency, including 27th in 2-point shooting allowed.
Offensively, they live at the rim, ranking 23rd in closest average 2-point attempt distance. They’re shooting 60% inside the arc, good for 19th nationally.
Most importantly, they rank ninth in offensive rebounding rate.
The veteran frontcourt of Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr. has been a fantastic pairing. Reneau has excelled in his new home, averaging 20.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Udeh averages only 6.8 points, but his 9.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game are invaluable.
Tre Donaldson has done a really nice job as the team's primary ball handler, averaging 15.5 points and 6.7 assists per game.
He barely comes off the floor, and his ability to get downhill and create for himself and his teammates against good teams will be a significant deciding factor for Miami moving forward.
Miami’s most significant weaknesses lie in its 3-point shooting and lack of bench production.
While the Hurricanes' 35.2% clip from downtown is solid, they rank 315th nationally in 3-point attempt rate. Their only truly positive shooter is Slovakian freshman Timo Malovec, although he’s only performed well against bad teams. In five games against power opponents, he’s scored just six points.
This group is also shooting just 67.2% from the charity stripe.
Wake Forest Basketball
Wake Forest is in familiar territory.
Steve Forbes appears to be trending toward a fifth straight season of landing the Demon Deacons in the NIT conversation entering Selection Sunday.
Flashback two months ago, Wake Forest had a historic Michigan team with its back against the wall, up nine in the final minutes before eventually losing by one in overtime.
One week later, Wake lost to Texas Tech by one point.
The Deacs have lost three games since then. Those losses include home defeats to Oklahoma by 18 and Vanderbilt by 31, along with a road loss to NC State by 13.
Wake took care of business in game one of this ACC homestand, defeating a shorthanded Virginia Tech team that was down two starters, 81-78.
Forbes has done an incredible job of bringing in point guards through the transfer portal and turning them into All-ACC-caliber players.
Washington State transfer Nate Calmese looked like a vintage Forbes guard on Saturday, scoring 25 points, dishing out seven assists and hitting the game-winning stepback 3 in the final seconds.
This performance came on the heels of his two worst games of the season. He scored zero points and committed three turnovers in 33 minutes against NC State, and scored just four points in the loss to Vanderbilt.
Juke Harris is Wake’s best player, averaging 19.4 points per game and looking like a potential NBA draft pick come June.
Still, Calmese is the engine of the offense.
Wake’s offense ranks 104th nationally by KenPom, while the defense ranks 40th. The Deacs are great at forcing turnovers, ranking in the top 20 nationally — they forced a sure-handed Virginia Tech team into 19 on Saturday.
Wake’s weaknesses lie in its inconsistent offense and softness on the interior.
The Deacs sit 270th nationally in 2-point shooting allowed, with opponents converting on 54.5% of those attempts. This is why, defensively, they scheme opponents into taking lots of 3s: 48.2% of field goal attempts allowed are from 3-point range, the 10th-highest rate.
Starting big Omaha Biliew got banged up on Saturday and may be out for this one. This would put a lot of responsibility on Valparaiso transfer Cooper Schwieger, who's held his own for stretches this season but has generally looked more like a mid-major than a high-major player.
Miami vs. Wake Forest Betting Analysis
Miami’s first ACC road test of the season is a tough spot. Wake Forest has been really good at home in league play over the past few years, and this is the type of game it typically wins.
There are a few key things this matchup comes down to.
One is Miami’s 3-point shooting.
Wake will be aggressive in trying to force turnovers and will need to keep bodies around the rim, which means Miami should have plenty of open looks from deep. It's (obviously) difficult to predict if the Hurricanes will hit those shots.
What’s easier to predict is this: Miami should have no issues winning on the offensive glass and getting Reneau going on the interior. Reneau is a good passer and has been productive in every single game this season.
Plus, Donaldson is the experienced, smart, athletic point-of-attack defender who can make life difficult for Calmese.
Additionally, Udeh and Reneau can be strong deterrents at the rim.
To win this game, Wake needs to hit its stride offensively, force a bunch of turnovers, hang tough on the glass and stay out of foul trouble. That’s certainly possible, especially at home.
Still, I’d lean towards siding with Miami riding Reneau and limiting Calmese’s ability to create enough to get this one done on the road.
My Pick: Miami ML
