Notre Dame vs Wake Forest ACC Tournament Prediction & Best Bets: Will the Demon Deacons Remain in the March Madness Mix?

Two weeks ago, Wake Forest followed up a big upset of Duke with a dud of a performance in a loss at Notre Dame. While the loss did derail their push to lock down a spot in the March Madness field, it wasn’t catastrophic. A loss in today’s rematch in the second round of the ACC Tournament, however, would be catastrophic for Wake.

Two seasons ago, Wake Forest went into the ACC Tournament as the #5 seed, only to be dumped out in the second round by #12 seed Boston College in overtime.

The loss was costly for the Demon Deacons, who had 23 wins, including 13 in the ACC, but missed out on the NCAA Tournament due to a lack of notable wins in and out of conference, one of the weakest non-conference schedules in Division I, and the ACC’s mediocrity.

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Game Information

• Matchup: #12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-19 SU, 18-14 ATS, 12-20 O/U) vs #5 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (19-12 SU, 16-14-1 ATS, 19-12 O/U)
• Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
• Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
• Time: 2:30 pm ET
• Broadcast: ESPN

Will Wake Forest be in a similar position come Selection Sunday this year? They have home wins over Florida, Duke, and Clemson, but they lost five of their last eight games, are 3-11 in road and neutral-site games, and had a decent finish in a conference that could receive only three NCAA Tournament bids if things shake out the way they could.

By comparison, Mississippi State, who is also 19-12 but finished 8-10 and ninth in the SEC (and lost to Georgia Tech and Southern University in non-conference play), is still on the right side of the bubble despite losing their final four regular season games. With conference wins over Tennessee and Auburn and non-conference wins over Washington State and Northwestern, the Bulldogs could lock down a bid with an SEC Tournament win over LSU on Thursday.

As it stands, the Demon Deacons may need to reach at least the ACC Tournament semifinals to go dancing, and even that may not be enough if the right—or wrong, in Wake’s case—amount of chaos happens over the next several days.

But they first need to see off the Irish, who will be aiming to follow Tuesday’s 84-80 win over Georgia Tech by crushing Wake Forest’s March Madness hopes and dreams.

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Odds

Odds are via BetOnline, a longtime fixture in the sports betting industry. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then grab yourself a nice sign-up bonus to bet on today’s NCAA basketball action.

Spread

• Notre Dame +8 (-110)
• Wake Forest -8 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 137 (-105)
• Under 137 (-115)

Looking for more men’s college hoops picks for tonight’s schedule? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for all of today’s top games.

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Prediction and Best Bets

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Betting Analysis and Prediction

Will the Demon Deacons move on to face fourth-seeded Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals?

The numbers certainly favor that outcome. Wake Forest is 18-3 SU and 14-6-1 ATS as a favorite this season.

And while they did drop three straight down the stretch at Notre Dame, at Virginia Tech, and at home against Georgia Tech, they did down Clemson at home last Saturday to close out the regular season.

But the Fighting Irish certainly can’t be written off in this spot. They are 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS in their last nine games, and they are 15-8 ATS as an underdog this season.

However, I think the Demon Deacons will bring a better effort than they did in the previous meeting.

Of Wake Forest’s 11 ACC wins this season, six were by 19 or more points, including a 33-point home win over the Pittsburgh team that they could face in the quarters. So, they are certainly capable of crushing the competition.

A convincing win over the tournament’s #12 seed won’t push the Demon Deacons into the field prior to their meeting with the Panthers, but a comfortable win will look a lot better than a close one. Look for them to take this one by double digits.

Prediction: Wake Forest to win and cover

Notre Dame vs Wake Forest Best Bets

Wake Forest -8 & Notre Dame/Wake Forest over 137

The Demon Deacons are 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS this season when favored by eight or more points. Also, this will be the 11^th time this season that a Wake Forest game has had a total of 145 or lower. In the first ten instances, the over is 6-4.

Other NCAA Basketball Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on NCAA Basketball?

Throughout the college basketball season, you can find NCAA basketball odds at the top online sports betting sites. That includes prominent names like BetDSI, BetOnline, BetUS, and Bovada.

Along with game odds, many sportsbooks offer men’s and women’s March Madness futures odds, Final Four odds, Wooden Award odds, and more.

If you are unfamiliar with any of these sites, check out our sportsbook reviews to learn more about them. Our reviews analyze available betting options, deposit and payout options, mobile and live betting, and the sportsbook sign-up bonuses and other promos offered.

• BetDSI Sportsbook Review
• BetOnline Sportsbook Review
• BetUS Sportsbook Review
• Bovada Sportsbook Review
• MyBookie Sportsbook Review

Interested in Learning More About Betting on NCAA Basketball?

If you are interested in learning more about betting on NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on the action from the Mountain West to the MAAC and beyond.

• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

Also, check out our March Madness guide, and learn valuable March Madness betting tips, where you can find the best March Madness bracket challenges, who the Final Four favorites are, and much more.

• March Madness Guide

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