Updated December 30, 2025
The ACC opener between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and NC State Wolfpack on Wednesday afternoon is an important one for both teams in New Year's Eve. Both teams enter this contest with identical 9-4 records and are off to strong starts heading into league play. The Wolfpack is favored on their home floor here, but can Wake Forest pull off the upset on the road? Here, I break down this ACC matchup and give you my Wake Forest vs NC State prediction.
Pick: | NC State -9.5 |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
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This ACC opener will be a major test for both programs. NC State has been impressive offensively this season, averaging over 88 points per game while shooting a 49% from the field. They wrapped up non-conference play with a solid win over Ole Miss, showing they can score effectively against quality competition.
Wake Forest also enters at 9-4, having put together a handful of strong performances and demonstrating balanced scoring. But they are adjusting to life without some key transfers from last year’s squad. Wake faces its first true road game of the season, which means that we will see what their group is really made of for the first time.
In terms of injuries, there are no major reported concerns for either side going into this contest, which should allow both teams to roll out their primary rotations without limitation. NC State’s Darrion Williams and Ven-Allen Lubin have been steady, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Wake’s Juke Harris and Myles Colvin lead their team’s scoring efforts. Harris has been especially impressive for Wake Forest, averaging just under 20 points per game and he will need to be great here for the Demon Deacons to win.
Score Projection: Wake Forest 73 – NC State 84
Win Probability: Wake Forest 19%, NC State 81%
NC State’s offensive efficiency, combined with its home-court advantage, makes them a strong choice to win and cover the spread in this ACC opener against Wake Forest. While the Demon Deacons have shown the ability to hang with quality competition this season, they haven't had the chance to prove themselves on the road. I think the Demon Deacons will struggle in Raleigh here and that NC State will get off to a positive start in conference play with a double-digit victory.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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