Navy vs Wake Forest Prediction 3/18/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Navy Midshipmen and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons meet Wednesday in NIT college basketball action from LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Here’s a Navy vs Wake Forest prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Navy vs Wake Forest pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Navy Midshipmen Betting Preview

Navy opened up their year at 12-5 over the first 17 games. The Midshipmen lost to American, then beat Lehigh, Holy Cross, Army, Boston U, Loyola MD, Lafayette, American, Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Army, Loyola MD, Colgate and Bucknell from there. In their last outing back on March 8, Navy’s win streak was snapped by Boston U. That gives the team a 26-7 record so far.

In the Patriot League Tournament matchup with Boston U the Midshipmen were down by one point 36-35 going into the second half. Navy kept the pace from there on a 37-37 run but couldn’t power out the win, going down 73-72 in the end. Aiden Kehoe led the team on 26 points with 12 rebounds, five steals and two assists while Austin Benigni had 17 points and six assists.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview

Over on the Wake Forest side, they started out their season on a 9-3 clip over the first dozen outings. The Deacons hit the skids on a 2-9 stretch over the next 11 games, then beat Georgia Tech, Stanford and Clemson. It’s been a 3-4 stretch since then for the Deacons with losses to Virginia Tech, Boston College, Virginia and Clemson. That gives the team a 17-16 record this year.

In the Clemson matchup last Wednesday the Demon Deacons were sitting in the locker room with a 41-23 deficit. Wake Forest got a little better in the second half on a 39-30 advantage but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 71-62 loss. Juke Harris topped the team with 22 points, four assists and two boards. Nate Calmese added 20 points with one assist in 25 minutes of work.

Navy Midshipmen @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Trends: March 18, 2026

Why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will win

• Wake Forest has won each of its last 14 Wednesday home games against non-Conference opponents.
• Navy has lost six of its last seven games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Navy has lost the first half in six of its last seven games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Why the Navy Midshipmen will win

• Navy has won 14 of its last 15 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Navy has won the first half in each of its last five road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Each of Navy’s last six night games have produced a total of 143 or fewer points.
• Nine of Wake Forest’s last 10 games at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum have produced a total of 153+ points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Navy ranks 9th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throws made per game this season (10.6).
• Navy ranks 14th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point percentage this season (29.8%).

Navy vs Wake Forest Prediction

I’ll lean toward Navy but you could make a case either way. The Midshipmen shot 42.9 percent from the field with a rough 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from 3-point range in their loss to Boston U, giving up 55.3 percent shooting on defense. Navy played well otherwise though, posting a 31-25 rebounding edge, a 46-24 advantage in the paint and just four turnovers. The Midshipmen are still 14-1 in their last 15 games, and they’ve scored 72 or more points in nine consecutive outings.

As for Wake Forest, they shot 44 percent from the field while holding Clemson to just 40.6 percent in their latest loss. The Deacons were outmuscled on the boards 38-30 however, and gave up 12 turnovers for 20 Tigers points. Wake Forest is 3-2 in their last five outings, scoring 70 or more points in four of those. This matchup could go a lot of different ways; it’ll be an interesting one to check out.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Navy Midshipmen +12.5