The North Carolina Tar Heels hit the road Tuesday to face the NC State Wolf Pack in a rivalry matchup featuring teams with a combined 38-13 record. North Carolina enters at 20-5 after a win over Pittsburgh, while NC State sits at 18-8 and is looking to snap a two-game losing streak following a home loss to Miami.
North Carolina is 8-4 in ACC play, tied for sixth with Louisville. Duke remains atop the conference standings, with its lone loss coming against North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 3-1 in February, their only defeat coming on the road at Miami. Earlier in the season, they dropped back-to-back games during a West Coast trip to Stanford and California.
Head coach Hubert Davis has his team on track for an NCAA Tournament berth, but first the Tar Heels close the regular season with five games. After this matchup, they stay on the road to face Syracuse on Saturday. Their final four games include home contests against Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, plus a road trip to Duke.
NC State is coming off a rough stretch defensively, allowing 118 points at Louisville before returning home and losing to Miami. Prior to that, the Wolf Pack had won six straight. They are averaging 84.5 points per game and making more than 10.5 three-pointers per contest. After Tuesday, NC State heads out for back-to-back road games at Virginia and Notre Dame. The final two regular-season games are at home against Duke and Stanford. The Wolf Pack sit fifth in the ACC at 9-4 in conference play.
Game Details
Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
TV and Streaming
TV: ESPN
Streaming: FuboTV
Betting Odds
- Spread: NC State -5.5; North Carolina +5.5
- Moneyline: NC State -260; North Carolina +225
- Total: 158.5
Series History
- All-time: North Carolina leads 121-51
- Last meeting: North Carolina won 97-73 on Feb. 19, 2025
Projected Starting Lineups
North Carolina Tar Heels
- #1 Zayden High — 2.2 ppg
- #7 Seth Trimble — 13.9 ppg
- #44 Luka Bogavac — 9.8 ppg
- #15 Jarin Stevenson — 7.6 ppg
- #3 Derek Dixon — 5.6 ppg
Notes:
- Leading scorer Caleb Wilson (19.8 ppg) is out with a hand injury.
- Second-leading scorer Henri Veesaar (16.4 ppg) is questionable with an ankle injury.
NC State Wolf Pack
- #1 Darrion Williams — 14.2 ppg
- #11 Quadir Copeland — 13.8 ppg
- #22 Ven-Allen Lubin — 13.7 ppg
- #2 Paul McNeil Jr. — 13.6 ppg
- #5 Tre Holloman — 10.0 ppg
ACC Throwdown Outlook
This is a big time spot for NC State. The Wolf Pack need the win to maintain their conference positioning, and North Carolina arrives shorthanded. A loss would raise legitimate questions about NC State’s late-season trajectory. Expect the home environment and perimeter shooting to play a major role for the hosts.
Regardless of the outcome, Tuesday night should deliver another intense chapter in one of the ACC’s most familiar in-state rivalries.