The Vanderbilt Commodores take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, NC. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on The CW Network.
Vanderbilt is favored by -4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -205. The total is set at 158.5 points.
Here’s my Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest prediction and college basketball picks for December 21, 2025.
Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest Prediction
My Pick: Wake Forest +5.5 (Play to +3)
My Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest best bet is on the Demon Deacons to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest Odds
| Vanderbilt Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | -205 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
- Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest spread: Vanderbilt -4.5
- Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest over/under: 158.5 points
- Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest moneyline: Vanderbilt -205, Wake Forest +170
Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest College Basketball Betting Preview
Vanderbilt Basketball
Vanderbilt, by the skin of its teeth, remains unbeaten. Memphis led Vandy late in the second half, but in the final minutes and overtime, we saw what separates a great team like Vandy from a middling team like Memphis — the little winning things.
From a spot standpoint, this is the one to fade Vanderbilt. Regardless of how you view Vandy, the second leg of a road trip just ahead of Christmas is a tricky spot.
The Commodores struggled once Penny Hardaway amped up the defensive pressure.
Vandy, which sits 43rd in adjusted tempo, felt more sped-up than usual, leading to 20 turnovers.
There's a difference between a comfortable tempo and a frenetic tempo, though. The Commodores tend to play a comfortably fast tempo with their plethora of ball-handling guards. Memphis forced them into a frenetic tempo.
Offensively, Vanderbilt ranks 10th in offensive efficiency. It went 6-for-31 from deep in the Memphis game, which looks like an outlier. Additionally, Vandy will always let it fly (46% of its shots are 3s), but it connects at a 35% clip.
Wake Forest can't rely on Vandy missing 3s as it did against Memphis. However, the Demon Deacons are used to making games ugly. The Memphis blueprint is the one Wake Forest can and should follow to disrupt one of the more free-flowing offenses.
Guard play is the separator for Vanderbilt. Tyler Tanner has developed into an All-SEC player as a sophomore. Plus, Duke Miles is a feisty defender and dynamic scorer, and he leads the team in scoring.
The forgotten man is Frankie Collins. The well-traveled athletic guard brings a different look than Miles and Tanner.
Wake Forest Basketball
Wake Forest is in desperate need of a signature win, as it only has a pair of top-100 wins over West Virginia and Memphis. Beating a potential top-10 team would be an NCAA Tournament resume building block.
The Demon Deacons will trot out a similar defense to Memphis. Expect a healthy amount of full-court pressure, which leads to Wake Forest forcing turnovers 21% of the time. The pressure also leads to teams bombing away from deep, attempting 3s on 48% of field goals.
The good news? Wake Forest has done well defending the arc, limiting teams to 28% on 3s. We'll see if Wake can sustain such an elite number. It was close to the same a season ago, so I'm banking on Steve Forbes having the proper formula to limit 3-point makes.
The Demon Deacons rank 43rd in defensive efficiency, though I think they're a touch better. They don't have a lot of length, so defending the rim is an issue, but the pressure and turnovers are a huge piece of Wake's DNA.
Offensively, Wake Forest has to shoot it well to compete here. After going 5-for-24 from 3 and nearly losing to Longwood, Wake Forest has to shoot it better.
Juke Harris and Myles Colvin are the go-to guys for Coach Forbes. Harris, a sophomore, looks the part of an NBA'er, using his 6-foot-7 frame to score inside and out.
Meanwhile, Colvin owns the two biggest shots of Wake's season — a pair of game-winners against Longwood and Memphis. He's shooting 39% from deep.
The X-factor here is Tre'Von Spillers. The undersized center is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds. He's been a monster on the block, and he'll need to keep the rebounding machine — Devin McGlockton — in check.
Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest Betting Analysis
I just think this spot is too good to pass up. I'm a big believer in Vandy, but at the end of the day, it won't go unbeaten.
In fact, it'll lose a healthy share of games.
After playing a grueling game against Memphis, I'd expect Vandy to come out a bit flat in what could be one of the biggest games in Winston-Salem this season.
Give me the points, but a small moneyline sprinkle for half-a-unit could be in order, too.
My Pick: Wake Forest +5.5 (Play to +3)
