The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the Michigan Wolverines in Detroit, MI. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Michigan is favored by -12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -900. The total is set at 160.5 points.
Here’s my Wake Forest vs. Michigan prediction and college basketball picks for November 11, 2025.
Wake Forest vs Michigan Prediction
My Pick: Michigan -12.5
My Wake Forest vs Michigan best bet is on the Wolverines 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. Michigan Odds
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 160.5 -110 / -110 | +600 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 160.5 -110 / -110 | -900 |
- Wake Forest vs Michigan spread: Michigan -12.5
- Wake Forest vs Michigan over/under: 160.5 points
- Wake Forest vs Michigan moneyline: Wake Forest +600, Michigan -900
Wake Forest vs Michigan College Basketball Betting Preview
Wake Forest Basketball
Wake Forest has yet to make the NCAA Tournament in the first five seasons of the Steve Forbes era.
He'll have a real chance to make a statement by beating Michigan as big underdogs on Tuesday.
Heading into this tough battle, Wake Forest took care of business in buy games against American and Morehead State. The Demon Deacons scored 80+ points in both matchups, but neither opponent is particularly strong — both are middle-of-the-pack teams in bottom-tier conferences.
The Demon Deacons appear to have a budding star in sophomore wing Juke Harris. Through two games, Harris is averaging 23.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while making a living at the foul line (11-for-17).
Outside of Harris, there are major questions about Wake Forest's offense. Many tabbed Forbes as a "guard whisperer" in the transfer portal, but his options are limited this season with Nate Calmese and Sebastian Akins.
Calmese is a smaller guard with inconsistent shooting abilities, while Akins, who stole minutes from Calmese in Wake’s second game, scored 15 points last time out and looks like the better of the two.
Still, neither projects as an ideal high-major backcourt option.
Wake Forest shot a brutal 28% from deep last year and is sitting at that same number through two games.
Starting forwards Tre'Von Spillers and Omaha Biliew have combined for just 17 career makes from beyond the arc, which will hurt floor spacing and allow Michigan to pack the paint to prevent rim attacks.
Michigan Basketball
Michigan looked dynamite in its first game of the season, handing Oakland a 121-78 loss. That same Oakland team went on to lose to Purdue by just 10 points shortly thereafter.
Should Michigan beat Oakland easily? Yes. But scoring 1.55 points per possession is absurd, regardless of opponent, and the Wolverines made it look effortless.
Point guard Elliot Cadeau looked exceptional with all the talent around him. He dished out 14 assists to just one turnover in his debut in Ann Arbor, consistently finding Morez Johnson Jr. (24 points) and Aday Mara (12 points) in ideal scoring positions.
One concern for Michigan entering the season was outside shooting, but freshman Trey McKenney drilling six triples and Nimari Burnett hitting four has quelled those worries, at least for now.
It'll be interesting to see if Dusty May sticks with a smaller lineup in this matchup.
Yaxel Lendeborg, who figures to be Michigan's top player, came off the bench against Oakland due to a lingering injury. Once he's fully healthy, he presumably will return to the starting lineup, which could push Roddy Gayle Jr., or one of the bigs, to the bench.
The jumbo lineup, however, might make more sense here. Wake Forest doesn't have a single starter taller than 6-foot-8, giving Michigan a clear size advantage if it plays three bigs.
The shot-volume battle should also tilt heavily in Michigan's favor if it can dominate the offensive glass, allowing the guards more freedom to shoot.
Wake Forest may need to sag off to protect the paint, which could open up clean perimeter looks for Cadeau and company.
Wake Forest vs. Michigan Betting Analysis
Wake Forest and Michigan both rank inside the top 50 nationally in adjusted tempo this season, meaning each will look to push the pace and rack up points.
The problem for Wake Forest is that it simply doesn't have enough offensive firepower to win a track meet against Michigan.
Scoring inside will be difficult for the Demon Deacons against the Wolverines' size and length. That'll force Wake Forest into taking low-percentage midrange jumpers — or settling for 3s, which hasn't been a strength.
Wake Forest will struggle to generate efficient offense, while Michigan's size and athleticism should lead to easy baskets around the rim.
A blowout feels likely here, with the Wolverines comfortably covering the spread.
My Pick: Michigan -12.5
