Halftime Report

Wake Forest fell flat on their face against the Tar Heels last Monday, but memory of that harsh loss doesn’t seem to have tripped them up today. Wake Forest has jumped out to a quick 37-27 lead against the Panthers.

Wake Forest came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.

Who’s Playing

Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Pittsburgh Panthers

Current Records: Wake Forest 13-6, Pittsburgh 12-8

How To Watch

• When: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
• Where: Petersen Events Center — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• TV: ACC Network
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $9.99

What to Know

Pittsburgh is on a three-game streak of home losses, the Demon Deacons a three-game streak of away losses, but someone’s luck is about to change. Both teams will face off in an ACC battle at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Petersen Events Center. Pittsburgh is expected to win (but not by much) so they better bring their A-game into this one.

Last Saturday, the Panthers were within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 72-68 to the Hurricanes.

The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Blake Hinson, who almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine rebounds. He didn’t help Pittsburgh’s cause all that much against the Yellow Jackets last Tuesday but the same can’t be said for this match. Jaland Lowe was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest managed to keep up with the Tar Heels until halftime last Monday, but things quickly went downhill from there. Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Demon Deacons as they lost 85-64 to the Tar Heels. The result shouldn’t come as a shock considering that’s the fewest points Wake Forest has scored all season.

Like Wake Forest, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Andrew Carr led the charge by scoring 14 points along with five rebounds and two blocks. Another player making a difference was Hunter Sallis, who scored 18 points along with two steals.

Wake Forest struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve managed all season.

The Panthers’ defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 12-8. As for the Demon Deacons, their loss dropped their record down to 13-6.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Pittsburgh hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 75.8 points per game. However, it’s not like Wake Forest struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 80.2 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Pittsburgh skirted past the Demon Deacons 81-79 in their previous meeting back in January of 2023. Does Pittsburgh have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Demon Deacons turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.

Odds

Pittsburgh is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Wake Forest, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Demon Deacons as a 1-point favorite.

The over/under is set at 143 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Wake Forest has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Pittsburgh.

• Jan 25, 2023 – Pittsburgh 81 vs. Wake Forest 79
• Feb 02, 2022 – Wake Forest 91 vs. Pittsburgh 75
• Mar 02, 2021 – Pittsburgh 70 vs. Wake Forest 57
• Jan 23, 2021 – Wake Forest 76 vs. Pittsburgh 75
• Mar 10, 2020 – Pittsburgh 81 vs. Wake Forest 72
• Jan 04, 2020 – Wake Forest 69 vs. Pittsburgh 65
• Feb 05, 2019 – Wake Forest 78 vs. Pittsburgh 76
• Feb 21, 2018 – Wake Forest 63 vs. Pittsburgh 57
• Feb 22, 2017 – Wake Forest 63 vs. Pittsburgh 59
• Feb 16, 2016 – Pittsburgh 101 vs. Wake Forest 96