Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Prediction, 3/20/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Location: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC

TV: ESPN+

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is the location where the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (20-13) will play the Appalachian State Mountaineers (27-6) on Wednesday in the NIT.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers faced Arkansas State and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 67-65 in their last contest. Appalachian State ended the game having earned a 49.1% FG percentage (26 of 53) and knocked down 4 out of their 12 shots from distance. From the charity stripe, the Mountaineers converted 9 of 13 attempts for a rate of 69.2%. In the matter of hauling in rebounds, they compiled 22 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 10 assists in the matchup while forcing 7 turnovers and getting 3 steals. When discussing the defense, Appalachian State allowed their opponent to shoot 44.1% from the floor on 26 out of 59 shooting. Arkansas State recorded 8 dimes and had 3 steals for the game. On top of that, Arkansas State collected 30 rebounds (9 offensive, 21 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Arkansas State finished the game at 83.3% at the free throw line by making 10 of their 12 tries. They also knocked down 5 of 15 tries from beyond the arc. In relation to fouls, the Mountaineers finished with 12 and Arkansas State totaled 14 fouls.

Terence Harcum is a player who had an impact for this contest. He finished 31.3% from the floor and dished out 1 assist. He played for 36 minutes played and also pulled down 1 board. He accounted for 15 points on 5 out of 16 shooting.

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Appalachian State steps onto the court with a record of 27-6 so far this year. They average 78.5 pts per contest (59th in the country) while shooting 47.5% from the field. The Mountaineers are connecting on 33.5% on shots beyond the perimeter (217 of 647) and 67.8% from the free throw line. As a unit, Appalachian State is collecting 42.0 rebounds per game and has earned 484 assists on the year, which ranks 77th in college basketball in terms of passing. They are turning it over 10.8 times per game and as a group they commit 13.0 fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the Mountaineers have forced 10.5 turnovers per game while drawing 16.5 fouls. They are currently ranked 17th in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 340 relinquished on the year. The Mountaineers defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 38.6% (837 of 2,167) and they surrender 36.3 rebounds per game as a group. They are conceding 30.8% on shots from beyond the arc and they are ranked 37th in D-1 in PPG allowed (66.5).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons took a defeat with a final score of 81-69 against Pittsburgh. The Demon Deacons snagged 18 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards totaling 25 in this contest. They also coughed up the ball 13 times, while earning 10 steals in this game. Pittsburgh had 17 personal fouls in this game which took the Demon Deacons to the free throw line for a total of 23 tries. They were able to make 17 of those for a percentage of 73.9%. When talking about 3-point attempts, Wake Forest converted 6 of 21 attempts (28.6%). At the conclusion of this game, the Demon Deacons ended up shooting 23 out of 50 from the field which gave them a rate of 46.0%. The Demon Deacons permitted Pittsburgh to make 26 out of their 54 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 48.1% for this contest. They went 39.1% from downtown by going 9 out of 23 and finished the contest at 20 of 25 at the free throw line (80.0%). Regarding how they cleaned up the glass, Wake Forest permitted Pittsburgh to collect 26 overall (7 offensive).

Cameron Hildreth ended up being a major contributor for the Demon Deacons for this contest. He made 8 out of 14 for this game giving him a field goal percentage of 57.1%, and added 3 rebounds. He scored 23 points in his 39 mins of playing time and had 2 assists in this contest.

Wake Forest has a win-loss record of 20-13 on the campaign. When it comes to executing on offense, the Demon Deacons are hitting on 47.7% from the field, which ranks 31st in the nation. Wake Forest has 2,580 pts on the season (78.2 per game) and they pull in 34.0 rebounds per game. They are earning an assist 12.5 times per game (242nd in the nation) and they cough up possession 10.8 times per game. The Demon Deacons commit 15.5 fouls every game and they shoot 79.5% from the free throw line.

The Wake Forest defense gives up 32.6% on shots from behind the 3-point line (219 of 671) and opponents are connecting on 74.8% of their shots from the charity stripe. They concede 10.7 assists and 32.5 total boards per game, which has them ranked 20th and 53rd in college basketball. The Demon Deacons on the defensive end are ranked 129th in college basketball in PPG given up with 70.5. They have forced 11.2 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.2% from the field (148th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Wake Forest

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