Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Florida State Seminoles Picks and Prediction for Saturday, January 17, 2026
It’s an ACC matchup on the hardwood in the Sunshine State as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons travel to take on the Florida State Seminoles Saturday evening and we have you covered with our Wake Forest vs. Florida State prediction. Wake Forest fell 87-84 to #17 North Carolina on the road in their previous contest last Saturday, covering the line as a 10.5-point underdog. Florida State fell 94-86 on the road to Syracuse Tuesday in their previous game, failing to cover the line as a 5.5-point underdog. In the all-time series between the teams, the Seminoles owns a 22-17 advantage and have won the last two meetings, including a 72-70 road win in the most recent matchup, which on February 12, 2025. Read more about this Wake Forest vs. Florida State prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
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Wake Forest Seeking to Rebound on the Road
Wake Forest dropped their second straight and their fourth in the last five games before falling short on the road against #17 North Carolina in a Tobacco Road clash. The Demon Deacons fell to 10-7 overall and stand 1-3 in ACC play on the season. Against North Carolina, Wake Forest never led in the game as they trailed 16-4 with 13:53 to play in the first half. The Demon Deacons were down 49-38 at the half and by as many as 15 in the game. Wake Forest got within one on a couple occasions, the last at 85-84 with seven seconds to play, only to fall short. The Demon Deacons shot 48.4% from the field, including 14 of 35 from beyond the arc, and allowed the Tar Heels to shoot 52.7% in the game. Juke Harris (six rebounds) and Nate Calmese (nine assists) each had 28 points in the loss for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons put up an average of 81.8 points per contest this season, which is 93rd in the nation in scoring offense. Wake Forest grabs 34.6 rebounds per contest (263rd in the nation) while dishing out 15.2 assists a night. The Demon Deacons are 235th in the nation in scoring defense as they allow 75.4 points per contest. Tre’Von Spillers is third on the Demon Deacons with 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. Juke Harris (20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Mekhi Mason (11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds) each provide reliable scoring options for the team on the season. Myles Colvin (12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds), Nate Calmese, Sebastian Akins, Omaha Biliew, Cooper Schweiger, Isaac Carr and Marqus Marion all have to contribute for Wake Forest to have success. The Demon Deacons shoot 45.4% from the field this season as a team. Wake Forest knocks down 9.2 triples a night while shooting 34.1% from beyond the arc, leaving them 184th in the country in that department. The Demon Deacons are above average at the free throw line as they hit 75.8% of their attempts at the stripe this season, which is 54th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Wake Forest:
- No Key Injuries
Seminoles Trying to Get On Track
Florida State dropped their fourth straight and ninth in the last 11 games as they were downed on the road by Syracuse Tuesday night. The Seminoles fell to 7-10 overall on the year and are 0-4 in ACC play on the year as they take the floor here. Against Syracuse, Florida State started strong, taking their biggest lead at 11-3 with 17:22 to play in the first half but found themselves down 43-40 at the half. The Seminoles gave up a 7-0 run to start the second half to trail by 10, led by as many as three and took their last lead at 69-68 with 9:47 remaining. Florida State gave up the next eight points to trail 76-69 and got no closer than three the rest of the way. The Seminoles shot 45.2% from the floor, including 10 of 27 from three-point range, and allowed Syracuse to shoot a sizzling 59.7% in the contest. Kobe MaGee led the Seminoles with 20 points in the loss.
The Seminoles come into this contest averaging 83.1 points per game on the season, leaving them 75th in the country in the scoring offense department. Florida State pulls down 36.6 rebounds per game (170th) while handing out 15.2 assists per contest. The Seminoles are 341st in scoring defense as they allow 82.1 points per game on the year. Robert McCray V is one of four players averaging in double figures as he puts up 13.7 points plus 6.6 assists per game. Chauncey Wiggins (11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds), Lajae Jones (11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds) and Kobe MaGee (11.5 points, 3.6 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Martin Somerville, Cam Miles, Alex Steen, AJ Swinton, Thomas Bassong and Alier Maluk are all good rotation pieces. Florida State shoots 42.4% from the field as a team on the year. The Seminoles drain 11.1 three-point field goals a night (11th) while shooting 32% from beyond the arc. Florida State cans a mediocre 70.8% (228th in Division I) of their chances at the free throw line on the year.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ben Burns | +1,203.00 |
| 2 |  Joseph D'Amico | +791.00 |
| 3 |  Bryan Power | +507.00 |
| 4 |  MIT Simulator | +449.00 |
| 5 |  Joe Duffy | +374.00 |
Key Injury Report for Florida State:
- No Key Injuries
Wake Forest vs. Florida State Pick
Wake Forest vs. Florida State Spread Pick
- Wake Forest -1.5 (4 units)
Wake Forest has slumped of late but they’re facing a Florida State squad that has seemingly come apart at the seams. The Seminoles have dropped nine of 11 and their two wins in that stretch came over Mississippi Valley State (1-17 and ranked dead last in Division I in the KenPom rankings) and Jacksonville (6-12, ranked 306th) entering this game. They were smashed by 44 points in their most recent home game, which was last Saturday against NC State. Wake Forest is a good offensive team and pushed North Carolina to the end in their previous contest in Chapel Hill. The Demon Deacons are 0-2 on the road but they are better than Florida State. Take Wake Forest in this contest as they prevail on the road.
Wake Forest vs. Florida State Over/Under Pick
- Over 167.5 (4 units)
Wake Forest has gone over the total in nine of their 17 games on the year entering this game. The Demon Deacons stand 90th in offensive efficiency, 120th in effective field goal percentage (52.8%), 19th in forced turnover percentage (21.3%), 23rd in steal percentage (13%) and 54th in free throw shooting this season. Wake Forest is 70th in the nation in adjusted tempo according to KenPom with 70.2 possessions a night. Florida State has seen the under post a 9-8 mark in their 17 games with a posted total. The Seminoles are 271st in effective field goal percentage defense (53.7%), 20th in forced turnover percentage (21.3%), 307th in allowed offensive rebounding percentage (34.5%) and 301st in field goal percentage defense (46.2%) this season. Florida State is 13th in the nation in tempo with 73.6 possessions a night. With the Seminoles weak defensively and both teams content to run, this game winds up over the number.
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