The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are off to a decent 8-3 start to the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season, tenth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and are coming off a narrow one-point win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (67-66).
They will now take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who are 6-4 at the start of the season, tenth in the Big Ten Conference, and on a two-game losing streak. They faced a defeat against the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes (67-66) in a very close affair.
The Knights will host this game at the Jersey Mike's Arena on Saturday (December 17) where they will look to end their losing run whereas the Demon Deacons will be looking to extend their winning start.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Betting Odds
The Demon Deacons started the season on a very bright note, but a few losses in between have put them tenth in the division. They suffered losses against the Loyola Marymount Lions (77-75), the Clemson Tigers (77-57), and the LSU Tigers (72-70). They now have a chance away from home to continue their winning run.
The team is above average when it comes to offense as they score 76.7 points per game, which ranks 101st in the league. However, they will need to work a little bit on their defense as they concede close to 70 points per game.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have six wins and four losses to start the season with. Four losses have come against teams like the Temple Owls (72-66), the No. 25 Miami Hurricanes (68-61), the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes (67-66), and the Seton Hall Pirates (45-43).
The Knights are scoring a disappointing 69.4 points per game whereas conceding only 54.5 points, which ranks 6th in the league.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Match Details
Fixture: Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Date & Time: Saturday, December 17, 12:00 p.m ET
Venue: Jersey Mike's Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Prediction
The Scarlet Knights have not crossed the total mark in their last four games. They have not crossed the total mark in six of their last seven games after suffering a defeat. Their total never went over the mark in six of their seven games against a team that has a losing record.
The team has only played once against each other when Wake Forest won by a single point, 69-68. Now they meet once again after a few years and the competition looks tight. Both have similar statistics, but the Knights do have some home advantage with them. Expect a close contest.