| MATCHUP | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | NC State Wolfpack |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 9-4 | 9-4 |
| Where | Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC | |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | |
| Time | 12:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN2 | |
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the NC State Wolfpack meet Wednesday in college basketball action from PNC Arena in Raleigh. Here’s a Wake Forest vs NC State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Wake Forest vs NC 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 opened up on a 6-2 run with wins over American, Morehead State, UMass Lowell, Memphis, Campbell and Northeastern. The next five games were a 3-2 stretch with wins over West Virginia, Queens U and Longwood in between losses to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Over 13 games so far this year the Demon Deacons have put together a 9-4 record.
In the Vanderbilt game on December 21, the Demon Deacons faced a 54-37 deficit at the break. Wake Forest was outscored 44-30 the rest of the way and lost the game 98-67 in blowout fashion. Myles Colvin doubled up in the defeat with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Juke Harris added 19 points with six rebounds in 37 minutes of work during the losing effort as well.
NC State Wolfpack Betting Preview
Over on the NC State side, they won their first four straight games this year then hit a 1-3 stretch with a lone win over Boise State among losses to Seton Hall, Texas and Auburn. The last five games have been a 4-1 run with a loss to Kansas in between wins over UNC Asheville, Liberty, Texas Southern and Ole Miss. Over 13 games this year the Wolfpack have a 9-4 record.
In the Ole Miss game on December 21, the Wolfpack were up comfortably 45-26 at halftime. NC State was outscored 36-31 the rest of the way but still won handily 76-62 in the end. Leading the team in scoring was Paul McNeil with 19 points and six boards. Quadir Copeland had 16 points with nine assists and seven boards and Tre Holloman had 16 points in 26 minutes.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ NC State Wolfpack Betting Trends: December 31, 2025
Why the NC State Wolfpack will win
- NC State has won nine of its last 10 games at Lenovo Center.
- Wake Forest has lost seven of its last eight games at Lenovo Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Wake Forest has lost the first half in six of its last seven games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will win
- Wake Forest has won 13 of its last 15 day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- NC State has lost 13 of its last 16 games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Wake Forest vs NC State Prediction
I’ll just stay with NC State. The Wolfpack beat a pretty good Ole Miss team in their last outing, shooting 50.9 percent from the field with a 32-28 rebounding edge and 28 points in the paint. NC State did get a bit sloppy with the ball on 16 turnovers however, and missed six of their 13 free throws (53.8 percent). Still, NC State has won four of their last five games, with only a one-point overtime affair versus Kansas as the blemish.
As for Wake Forest, they shot a rough 35.2 percent from the field and 19 percent (4-of-21) from outside in their latest loss to Vanderbilt—not to mention the 17 turnovers and 36-20 deficit in the paint. The Deacons didn’t look very good, but to be fair they’d been playing well before that—and Vanderbilt is a great team. NC State will make for a tricky matchup though, and I don’t think the Deacons can pull it off.