The second-ranked Duke Blue Devils will attempt to secure at least a share of the ACC regular-season title when they face off against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on March 3. Wake Forest recently achieved a 74-71 victory over Notre Dame, while Duke dominated Florida State with a 100-65 win.

The Demon Deacons, with a record of 20-9 and 12-6 in the ACC, are tied for fourth place but have stumbled in three of their last five matches. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils, holding a remarkable 26-3 record and leading the ACC at 17-1, are on a six-game winning streak, winning 22 of their last 23 games. Duke’s guard Tyrese Proctor (knee) is questionable for this matchup.

Game Details:
Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Odds: Duke is a 20.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 145.5 points.

For insights and expert predictions on the Duke vs. Wake Forest matchup, check out SportsLine’s models, which simulate each Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times.

Why Back Duke

Freshman Cooper Flagg has been a key player for Duke, averaging 19.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in 29 games. His shooting percentage from the field stands at 49.2%, with 37.5% from beyond the arc. Kon Knueppel, also a freshman guard, averages 13.5 points and has proven to be an integral part of the team, hitting 90.8% of his free throws.

Why Back Wake Forest

Senior guard Hunter Sallis has been scoring consistently, tallying 25 points last week, and is averaging 18.5 points per game. Cameron Hildreth is coming off a standout performance with 28 points against Notre Dame, leading his team in recent games.

How to Make Picks

The model’s projections favor the Over, estimating a combined total of 146 points. It also indicates a side of the spread with a nearly 60% success rate in simulations.