The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on The CW Network.
Duke is favored by 17.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2500. The total is set at 149.5 points.
Here’s my Wake Forest vs. Duke prediction and college basketball picks for January 24, 2026.
Wake Forest vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: Wake Forest +17.5
My Wake Forest vs Duke 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.
Wake Forest vs. Duke Odds
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -105 | 149.5 -110 / -110 | +1250 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -115 | 149.5 -110 / -110 | -2500 |
- Wake Forest vs Duke spread: Duke -17.5
- Wake Forest vs Duke over/under: 149.5 points
- Wake Forest vs Duke moneyline: Wake Forest +1250, Duke -2500
Wake Forest vs Duke College Basketball Betting Preview
Wake Forest Basketball
Wake Forest comes into this matchup at 11-8 overall and 2-4 in the ACC after its 91-79 loss against SMU.
The Demon Deacons have been a frustrating team this season. They suffered losses by two total points to Michigan and Texas Tech, but then fell by double digits to Oklahoma and NC State.
They continue to look for a signature win this season, as their best win so far was a three-point home victory against Virginia Tech.
6-foot-7 sophomore guard Juke Harris is a pro. He averages 20.5 points per game and is coming off a 27-point outing against SMU. Harris is a three-level scorer; he can finish over taller defenders around the rim, shoot post-fades against a smaller guard or be a spot-up, catch-and-shoot 3-point marksman.
Assuming Duke's Dame Sarr will have the defensive assignment, someone else will need to step up for Wake Forest.
Who will be the guy that tries to step up? My pick is Nate Calmese. Calmese is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game, but when he does score, he puts up a ton. Prior to his four-point outing against SMU, Calmese averaged 22.5 points per game in the previous four games, including hitting seven 3s at UNC.
Wake Forest should be able to have 3-point looks against a Duke defense that ranks 14th in 3-point defense.
Duke Basketball
Duke sits at 17-1 overall and 6-0 in the ACC after going 2-0 on its West Coast trip.
Sarr has proven himself as one of the best on ball defenders in the country with what he did against Cal and Stanford. After Ebuka Okorie had 36 points and nine assists against UNC, but Sarr held him to nine points on 3-of-9 shooting, with four turnovers.
Duke has a major advantage in the frontcourt in this game. At Stanford, Cam Boozer scored 30 points and seven of his 14 rebounds were offensive. Plus, Wake Forest's frontcourt may even be worse than Stanford's.
Wake and Stanford are the two worst teams in the ACC in allowing opposing offensive rebounds, while Wake Forest ranks three spots worse than Stanford in 2-point defense.
Wake Forest vs. Duke Betting Analysis
This is Duke's first game in a week and tip-off got moved from 5:45 p.m. ET to Noon ET due to weather on Saturday.
My point? I think Duke starts off slow, which it did in its last home game against SMU when it was down 11-0 to start the game.
In Duke's last two home games, it's allowed opponents to shoot over 50% from the field and 50% from 3. Harris and Calmese have proven to be tough shot makers, and they'll be very aggressive in looking for their shots in this one.
Duke wins, but Wake Forest will keep it within the number.
My Pick: Wake Forest +17.5
