Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh Prediction & Best Bets (2024 ACC Tournament Quarterfinals): Bubble Boys Battle to Stay Alive

Today is a big day for a lot of college basketball teams around the country. If they win, they either lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament or keep their hopes alive for another day. In the ACC, the afternoon spotlight will be on Wake Forest and Pittsburgh, who will face off in a quarterfinal matchup at Capital One in Washington, D.C.

Where the fifth-seeded Demon Deacons (20-12, 11-9 ACC) and fourth-seeded Panthers (21-10, 12-8 ACC) are in the bubble picture is not a consensus.

As of yesterday, Wake was in the field in FOX Sports' latest update, in the "First Four Out" at ESPN, and outside of the "First Four Out" at CBS Sports.

Pitt, meanwhile, was in FOX and CBS's "First Four Out" but in the "Next Four Out" at ESPN.

So, one thing does appear to be certain, or at least highly likely: The loser of today's matchup between the Demon Deacons and Panthers will not receive an invite to the Big Dance come Selection Sunday.

The Demon Deacons did what they needed to do yesterday to remain in the March Madness mix, dispatching #12 seed Notre Dame 72-59.

Kevin Miller led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds, but it was a balanced team effort as six players scored seven or more points.

Now comes their biggest game of the season, as well as the biggest game of the season for Pitt. The two teams split their two regular season meetings, with the Panthers winning 77-72 at home on January 31 and the Demon Deacons winning 91-58 in Winston-Salem on February 20. Who will take the win in today's matchup and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive? Read on.

Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh Odds

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

Spread

• Wake Forest -2 (-110)
• Pittsburgh +2 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 145 (-110)
• Under 145 (-110)

Moneyline

• Wake Forest -130
• Pittsburgh +110

Looking for more men's college hoops picks? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for all of the top games each day.

Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh Betting Analysis and Prediction

Three-point shooting will be key to the outcome. Wake Forest is second in the ACC in three-point shooting (37.4%), while Pitt is second in the ACC in defending the three (31.0%). When the Demon Deacons have made at least 37.4% of their threes this season, they are 13-2, losing only to Utah and at Virginia Tech.

As a team, the Panthers shoot 35.7% from three, which is seventh in the ACC. But they put up a lot of treys and rank in the top 25 nationally in attempts per game (27.0) and makes per game (9.6). Their perimeter efforts are led by one of the elite three-point shooters in the country, Blake Hinson (18.8 PPG, 42.4% 3PT). When Hinson makes 40.0% or more from outside, the Panthers are 12-3 and have won six straight since a home loss to Duke on January 9.

The Demon Deacons may not win in a rout this time, but the trends are in their favor here. They are 9-1 SU and 8-1-1 ATS this season when favored by six or fewer points, with the lone straight-up loss coming at Florida State on January 9.

The Panthers, on the other hand, are 3-7 SU and ATS as an underdog this season. While that isn't great, it does have to be noted that two of the wins came at Duke (15-3 SU at home) and Virginia (15-2 SU at home), which are two very big feathers in their cap.

That said, other than their blip at the end of the regular season, which featured losses at Notre Dame and at home against Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons have been good at winning the games they were supposed to. Overall, they are 18-3 SU and 14-6-1 ATS as a favorite this season.

Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh Best Bets

Wake Forest -1.5 & Wake Forest/Pittsburgh over 145

Will we see over 145 hit for the third time in three meetings between these two teams this season? That's a likely outcome.

Since starting the season with six unders in their first nine games, the over is 16-7 in Wake Forest's last 23 games (including 14-7 in ACC games). Yesterday's game went under, but they have had consecutive unders against ACC opponents just once this season.

The over is just 11-8-1 in Pitt's games against ACC teams, but it hit four times in their last six regular season games (4-1-1 O/U).

Also, the over is 9-3 in Wake's games when the total has been 145 to 150 and 8-4 in Pitt's games when the total has been 145 to 150.

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

Also, follow Betting News on X/Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok to get more daily NCAA basketball betting insight from myself and the rest of our team.

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