The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the UNC Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
UNC is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -610. The total is set at 151.5 points.
Here’s my Wake Forest vs. UNC prediction and college basketball picks for January 10, 2026.
Wake Forest vs UNC Prediction
My Pick: UNC -9.5 (Play to -11.5)
My Wake Forest vs UNC best bet is on the Tar Heels 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. UNC Odds
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -102 | 151.5 -115o / -105u | +440 |
| UNC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -120 | 151.5 -115o / -105u | -610 |
- Wake Forest vs UNC spread: UNC -9.5
- Wake Forest vs UNC over/under: 151.5 points
- Wake Forest vs UNC moneyline: Wake Forest +440, UNC -610
Wake Forest vs UNC College Basketball Betting Preview
Wake Forest Basketball
Wake Forest finds itself in a familiar spot once again. In year six at the helm, Steve Forbes is trending toward another Selection Sunday where Wake’s name isn’t called.
Rewind two months, and Wake was toe to toe with an elite Michigan team, leading by nine late before suffering a one-point overtime loss. A week later, the Deacs dropped another heartbreaker, falling by a single point to Texas Tech.
The Deacs haven’t found their stride since, now sitting at 10-6 on the year and 1-2 in ACC play. A clutch Nate Calmese 3-pointer lifted the Demon Deacons over Virginia Tech 81-78 a week ago, but Miami prevailed in a close 81-77 contest on Wednesday.
Juke Harris has emerged as a star for this team. The sophomore guard is an NBA athlete who thrives when getting downhill off the bounce. He’s coming off a 28-point performance in the loss to Miami, where he drilled 4-of-8 3s.
Point guard Nate Calmese continues to be the X-factor for this Wake offense. He’s the engine of the unit, and his ability to make good decisions and create out of the pick-and-roll determines this team’s success.
His 19 points and four assists against Miami were overshadowed by his seven turnovers, but his 25 points and seven assists were indispensable in the win over the Hokies.
Wake is undersized on the interior, a major reason why their 2-point percentage defense ranks 287th nationally.
To counteract this, the Deacs look to create havoc and force turnovers, which they've been great at. Forbes’ crew is now inside the top 20 nationally in turnover percentage.
UNC Basketball
The Tar Heels are 13-2 on the season, ranking 17th in the AP Poll. Although the metrics aren’t nearly as high on this team as the pollsters, the Tar Heels check in at 27th on KenPom.
Hubert Davis’ squad has had a week off following its 97-83 loss at SMU last Saturday. This is the first loss the Heels have suffered with senior Seth Trimble healthy.
The frontcourt tandem of potential top-five pick Caleb Wilson and another potential first rounder in Henri Veesaar has been a dynamite duo this season.
Wilson and Veesaar are two of only 15 players in the country with eight or more double-doubles on the season. In the loss to SMU, however, both players had down games, combining for just 27 points and 13 boards.
Rim dominance has been the best attribute of this North Carolina team, as opponents are shooting just 42% inside the arc, the third-lowest percentage nationally.
UNC has also taken great care of the ball, ranking 27th in the country in 2-point percentage.
Additionally, this group has plenty of playmakers, ranking 25th nationally in assist rate.
Wake Forest vs. UNC Betting Analysis
UNC has had a week off before a Saturday home game against an in-state rival, and I think this one could get out of hand.
Similar to the Miami frontcourt of Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr., UNC simply has far too big of a talent and size mismatch up front. Miami just outrebounded Wake by 17 on the road, and UNC should similarly control the glass.
Valparaiso transfer Cooper Schwieger was barely playable, and 6-foot-7 big man Tre’Von Spillers fouled out. The talent and size mismatch can be exploited time and time again on both ends of the floor.
To make up for that, Wake is going to have to win the turnover battle, but this UNC team has taken great care of the rock this season.
Trimble was unable to contain the speedy Boopie Miller against SMU. Whether he’s primarily on Harris or Calmese, I’m expecting the All-ACC-caliber defender to really bounce back on the defensive side of the ball here at home.
In addition to winning the turnover battle and competing on the glass, Wake would also need Calmese to have a Boopie-level performance generating shots for this Wake Forest offense. I don’t have that much faith in him to do that here on the road.
I’ll lay it with Carolina.
My Pick: UNC -9.5 (Play to -11.5)
