The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons have traded wins over the past seven matchups dating back to January 2021. If the trend sticks, it would be an opportunistic victory for a Wake Forest team looking to establish itself outside of the bubble.
Sitting at 10-6 on the year, the Demon Deacons have not won comfortably in some time. Its two wins over its last five games were both by just three points over Longwood and Virginia Tech. The other three contests were losses to Vanderbilt, NC State and Miami (FL). But a Quad 1 opportunity lays in the balance for Wake Forest against a well-rested Tar Heels squad.
North Carolina suffered a 14-point loss to SMU last Saturday and will be looking to right the ship against an upset-minded Wake Forest team.
The Tar Heels are 13-2 on the year with losses to Michigan State and the aforementioned SMU the only blemishes on an otherwise solid resume. With a long break in between ACC matchups, North Carolina will be the ultimate example of rest versus rust early in conference play.
Wake Forest vs. North Carolina: When and Where
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 6:00 pm ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Wake Forest vs. North Carolina: TV and Streaming Info
TV: ACC Network
Wake Forest vs. North Carolina Betting Odds
- Spread: North Carolina Tar Heels -9.5, Wake Forest Demon Deacons +9.5
- Moneyline: North Carolina Tar Heels -575, Wake Forest +425
- Total: 150.5
Wake Forest vs. North Carolina Series History
- All-Time Series: North Carolina leads 25-15
- Last Meeting: North Carolina won 68-59 on March 13, 2025
Projected Starting Lineups
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- #2 Juke Harris 19.9 PPG
- #6 Myles Colvin 13.3 PPG
- #25 Tre’Von Spillers 11.7 PPG
- #1 Nate Calmese 9.8 PPG
- #0 Omaha Biliew 6.3 PPG
Key note: Biliew is coming off a load management game and should be back in the starting lineup is a full-go for head coach Steve Forbes
North Carolina Tar Heels
- #8 Caleb Wilson 19.3 PPG
- #7 Seth Trimble 16.7 PPG
- #13 Henri Veesaar 16.3 PPG
- #44 Luka Bogavac 10.1 PPG
- #0 Kyan Evans 6.2 PPG
Key note: Trimble has looked solid since returning from injury against Ohio State on December 20, averaging 17.8 points per game in the four games he's played in
Game Outlook
We're in do or die territory for Wake Forest already. Sure, the Demon Deacons can go on a mega-run and finish the year with single digit losses. But with the ACC looking stronger this season, wins might be hard to come by.
There's no harder path to a road win than through Dean E. Smith Center, but Wake Forest has the talent to pull off the upset. The major difference maker will be how North Carolina responds to its road loss to SMU from last Saturday. A weeklong layover is tough for some teams to overcome, especially after a loss. Can the Tar Heels bunker down and stave off the upset-minded Demon Deacons?