There is probably no bigger elimination game in tournament play than today in Charlotte, NC when UNC (21-12, 13-7) takes the court against Wake Forest (21-10, 13-7).

Both schools may well need to win today’s quarterfinal game as well as the semifinal against Duke to be guaranteed a spot in the Big Dance, but the loser most assuredly will not be invited to the Madness Sunday evening.

North Carolina routed Notre Dame in their opening round game, 76-56. Jae’lyn Withers led the Heels with 21 points burying 7 of 10 3-pointers. It was UNC’s seventh win in their last eight games.

Wake Forest stumbled down the stretch in the regular season. They blew out Georgia Tech 69-43 on the season’s final day but were just 3-3 down the stretch with losses to NC State and Florida State included.

The Demon Deacons upset Carolina 67-66 in Winston-Salem on January 18 this season.

Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Game details & how to watch North Carolina vs. Wake Forest

• Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
• Time: 2:30PM EST
• Site: Spectrum Center
• City: Charlotte, NC
• Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.

Game odds for UNC vs. Wake Forest

The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of BetMGM:

• Odds: North Carolina Tar Heels (-250), Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+200)
• Spread: Tar Heels -5.5
• Total: 146.5 points

Expert picks & predictions for North Carolina vs. Wake Forest

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) expects Wake to struggle on offense: Wake Forest 1H Team Total Under 33.5 (-125)
“North Carolina showcased suffocating defense yesterday against Notre Dame and I think they can against Wake Forest. UNC lost to them earlier in the season and Wake Forest has been off since they had a bye, which could result in some rust. The halftime score between the two at Wake Forest was 31-29 with UNC leading, so I will go back to the first half Under on Wake.”

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Tar Heels & Demon Deacons game:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on North Carolina on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on North Carolina at -5.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 146.5.

UNC vs. Wake Forest: Top betting trends and recent stats

• UNC is 5-1 on the ML and ATS in their last 6 games
• UNC is 3-2-1 to the OVER in their last 6 games
• Wake is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games
• Wake is 4-1 to the OVER in their last 5 games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)