Wake Forest vs. Duke Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks March 3: Best Bets & Score Projections Today

The Duke Blue Devils enter tonight's game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as 20.5-point favorites. 

Duke is dominant as favorites, winning five in a row as a favorite of at least 16 points. They've won six straight, highlighting the enormity of the forthcoming task for the Demon Deacons, whose March Madness chances continually shrink. 

Our Wake Forest vs. Duke prediction, odds, and expert picks expect Wake Forest to keep things tight enough to cover—tonight's game tips off at 7 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN.

Wake Forest vs. Duke updated betting info

Our Mike Spector believes Wake Forest will be the first team to cover in the last six against a Duke team favored by 16 or more. Regarding March Madness, the Blue Devils have moved from +1100 to +375, with 22% of the money on them to trim the net, according to BetMGM. 

💰 Wake Forest vs. Duke predictions, expert picks & best bets today

Here are my best Wake Forest vs. Duke predictions, expert picks, and best bets today with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

• Against the spread pick: Wake Forest +21 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Duke ⭐⭐
• My best player prop bet: Cooper Flagg Over 7.5 rebounds (-108 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
• Exact score prediction: Duke 82, Wake Forest 63 (+16000 via DraftKings) ⭐

🏀 Wake Forest vs. Duke ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Wake Forest to cover the spread (+21) while targeting Cooper Flagg Over 7.5 rebounds as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ Wake Forest to cover the spread (+21) ⭐⭐

There is no denying that Duke has been the most dominant team in the country this season, outside of Auburn.

The Blue Devils have set or tied school records in several categories, including most conference wins by 25-plus points (nine), consecutive wins by 15 or more points (five), and consecutive wins by at least 35 points (three).

However, backing the Demon Deacons in this matchup is in large part because of the lookahead factor with Duke finishing its regular season against rival North Carolina on Saturday.

In the game leading up to the first UNC matchup this year, the Blue Devils failed to cover as 22-point favorites in a lethargic 74-64 home victory against NC State. They also failed to cover as 11.5-point favorites in a 63-56 win at Wake Forest on Jan. 25, a game in which Duke committed 16 turnovers and shot just 28.1% from 3-point range. 

Wake Forest forced Wooden Award odds contender Cooper Flagg into seven turnovers, and now, Duke’s roster is somewhat compromised in this rematch with the injury to starting point guard Tyrese Proctor. 

Caesars is the only one of our best sportsbooks where one can back the Demon Deacons at +21, as all other competing sportsbooks are a half-point lower at +20.5.

📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars (bet $10 to win $9.09)

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🔥 Cooper Flagg Over 7.5 rebounds ⭐⭐⭐

One of the biggest bright spots for Duke in its win in a defensive struggle against Wake Forest in the first matchup was its dominance on the glass. The Blue Devils out-rebounded the Demon Deacons 49-32, with Flagg totaling six boards.

Wake Forest ranks 357th among all D-I teams in 3-point shooting (28.6%), and Duke ranks in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. Thus, there should be plenty of missed shots tonight.

This is a contrarian play, as Flagg has grabbed eight or more rebounds just once in the last eight games.

📊 Best odds: -108 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $9.26)

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🎯 Expert Wake Forest vs. Duke score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: Duke 82, Wake Forest 63

Wake Forest will probably struggle to contain Duke, but there should be a great opportunity for a backdoor cover with the Blue Devils taking their foot off the gas with a big lead. That is why I’m predicting a final score of Duke 82, Wake Forest 63.

📊 Best odds: +16000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1600)

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📊 Live Wake Forest vs. Duke odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Wake Forest vs. Duke, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Wake Forest vs. Duke opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Wake Forest vs. Duke according to BetMGM.

• Spread: Wake Forest +20.5 (-115) | Duke -20.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Wake Forest +1350 | Duke -5000
• Over/Under: Over 144.5 (-110) | Under 144.5 (-110)

🏆 Who will win Wake Forest vs. Duke?

As of Monday morning, Duke is favored by 20.5 points to beat Wake Forest with moneyline odds of -5000 at BetMGM, which suggests a 98.04% win probability for the Blue Devils. We're predicting an 82-63 win for Duke as our final score projection.

So far, 54% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Duke -20.5, while 78% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 144.5 points.

📺 How to watch Wake Forest vs. Duke tonight

📅 Date: Monday, March 3, 2025
🕗 Time: 7 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium (Durham, N.C.)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Wake Forest vs. Duke FAQs

Who is favored to win Wake Forest vs. Duke?

Duke is a sizable moneyline favorite to beat Wake Forest. The Blue Devils are trading at -5000 at our best sports betting apps, giving them a 98.04% implied probability.

What are the betting odds for Wake Forest vs. Duke?

The latest spread is Wake Forest +20.5 (-110) | Duke -20.5 (-110), with a total between 144.5 and 145.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Wake Forest vs. Duke?

We're predicting a final score of Duke 82, Wake Forest 63 entering tonight's matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

What time is Wake Forest vs. Duke tonight?

Tipoff for Wake Forest vs. Duke is slated for tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

Looking to bet on college basketball tonight? Here are our best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best March Madness betting promos ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

• Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
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