The Wake Forest Demon Deacons travel to Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday to face the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gym, wrapping up a home-and-home series in a non-conference opener for the 2026-27 season. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.
Vanderbilt enters the new campaign with considerable momentum after going 27-8 overall last season and establishing itself as one of the SEC's premier programs. The Commodores also dominated the first meeting of this series back in December, rolling to a 98-67 road win over Wake Forest.
Now back on their home floor, the Commodores are listed as 18.5-point favorites in the latest Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt odds, with the over/under for total points set at 155.5. Vanderbilt guard Gabe Nesmith is dealing with an ankle injury heading into Thursday's tipoff.
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times, has released its predictions for the matchup. The model enters the 2026-27 season on an 11-1 run with its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to 2025, and it has gone 28-22 on its top-rated college basketball side picks over that span.
For Thursday's opener, the model is backing the Over on the 155.5-point total, saying it hits in 63% of simulations. Its projections call for three Vanderbilt players to reach double figures in scoring.
Ace Glass is projected to lead the Commodores with more than 17 points, while Tyler Tanner is expected to contribute more than 14 and Banqot Dak is forecast to finish with more than 10.
On the Wake Forest side, only one player is projected to score in double figures: Kevair Kennedy, who is expected to pace the Demon Deacons with more than 19 points in the rematch.
In addition to the play on the total, the model also indicates that one side of the 18.5-point spread cashes in more than 60% of its simulations. Whether the favored Commodores cover that number or Wake Forest keeps the game closer than expected remains the key question for bettors weighing their options in the season opener.
