The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils hit the road Monday night for an ACC showdown against the NC State Wolf Pack. The matchup serves as the first game of ESPN’s doubleheader and carries very different stakes for both programs.
Duke enters at 27-2 overall and riding a six-game winning streak. The Blue Devils are coming off a 26-point home win over Virginia and have won five of their last six games by double digits. Their last loss came February 7 on the road at North Carolina. The only other setback this season was against Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
With two games remaining, Duke has already secured the ACC regular-season title, sitting two games clear of Virginia. The Blue Devils are firmly in line for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they continue to handle business. A massive regular-season finale against North Carolina awaits on March 7.
NC State comes in at 19-10 overall and currently sits sixth in the ACC standings. The Wolf Pack have dropped back-to-back games, including an overtime loss at Notre Dame. With four losses in their last five contests, NC State could use a statement win to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume.
After hosting Duke, the Wolf Pack remain at home to face Stanford on March 7.
Duke vs. NC State: When and where
Date: Monday, March 2, 2026
Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Duke vs. NC State: How to watch and stream
TV: ESPN
Streaming: FuboTV
Duke vs. NC State: Betting odds
Spread: Duke -10.5
Moneyline: Duke -334, NC State +260
Total: 148
Duke vs. NC State: Series history
All-time series: Duke leads 83-52
Last meeting: Duke defeated NC State 74-64 on January 27, 2025
Projected starting lineups
Duke Blue Devils
#12 Cameron Boozer – 22.5 PPG
#3 Isaiah Evans – 14.7 PPG
#21 Patrick Ngongba II – 10.7 PPG
#1 Caleb Foster – 8.7 PPG
#7 Dame Sarr – 5.8 PPG
NC State Wolf Pack
#1 Darrion Williams – 14.3 PPG
#22 Ven-Allen Lubin – 13.9 PPG
#11 Quadir Copeland – 13.7 PPG
#2 Paul McNeil Jr. – 13.7 PPG
#5 Tre Holloman – 9.4 PPG
What to expect
NC State head coach Will Wade will have his team motivated after consecutive losses, especially with Duke coming to town. The Wolf Pack need to feed off the home crowd and control tempo if they want to pull the upset.
The challenge is that Duke has shown it can win in multiple ways. The Blue Devils defend, score in transition and rarely beat themselves. If NC State allows Duke to dictate pace early, it could turn into another double-digit win.
Still, this is March in the ACC. A desperate home team against the No. 1 squad in the country usually delivers drama.