| MATCHUP | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Florida State Seminoles |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 10-7 | 7-10 |
| Where | Tucker Center, Tallahassee, FL | |
| When | Saturday, January 17, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN2 | |
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Florida State Seminoles meet Saturday in college basketball action from Donald L Tucker Center in Tallahassee. Here’s a Wake Forest vs Florida State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Wake Forest vs Florida State 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.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
The Demon Deacons managed to record a 9-3 overall record in their first 12 games of the season. The losses in that time were versus Michigan, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Since then it’s been a 1-4 run however, featuring losses to Vanderbilt, North Carolina State, Miami and North Carolina in that time. Over the first 17 games of the year that gives the Demon Deacons a 10-7 record in the books.
Matched up against North Carolina last weekend the Deacons entered the second half with a 49-38 deficit. Wake Forest would make a game of it from there on a 46-38 run but ultimately fell short 87-84. Leading the team in scoring were Nate Calmese with 28 points, nine assists and four rebounds, and Juke Harris with 28 points, six rebounds and one assist in 38 minutes of work in the loss.
Florida State Seminoles Betting Preview
Over on the Florida State side, they got off to a nice 5-1 start with a lone loss to Florida. After losses to Texas A&M, Georgia, Houston, UMass and Dayton, the Seminoles would beat MS Valley State and Jacksonville. Since then it’s been losses to North Carolina, Duke, NC State and Syracuse. Over 17 games this year that gives the Seminoles a 7-10 overall record thus far.
Back on Tuesday versus Syracuse in a road matchup, Florida State was in the locker room with a 43-40 deficit. The Seminoles didn’t end up getting any closer than that on a 51-46 second half and lost the game 94-86 in the end. Kobe MaGee topped the team with his 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. Robert McCray added 14 points with six assists and four rebounds as well.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Florida State Seminoles Betting Trends: January 17, 2026
Why the Florida State Seminoles will win
- Florida State has won seven of its last eight night games at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Wake Forest has lost each of its last four road games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Wake Forest has lost the first half in each of its last five road games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will win
- Florida State has lost each of its last six night games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Wake Forest has won five of its last six games when playing with a rest advantage.
Wake Forest vs Florida State Prediction
I’ll stay with the Deacons here. Wake Forest could use a good win on the road, and this is a solid spot to get it. In their latest loss to UNC, the Demon Deacons shot well (48.4 percent) but also gave up 52.7 percent shooting on the other side. Wake Forest was outmuscled on the boards 29-23 and in the paint 40-30, not to mention the 13 turnovers. That gives the Deacons a rough 1-4 record in the last five games, but they’ve scored 77 or more points in three straight outings.
As for FSU, they gave up a whopping 59.7 percent shooting to Syracuse in their latest loss. The Seminoles put up 45.2 percent themselves along with a 46-36 disadvantage on points in the paint and 14 turnovers. Florida State has lost four straight games (and nine of the last 11), giving up 79 or more points in all four of those—and 91 or more in each of the last three.