The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and North Carolina Tar Heels meet Wednesday night in an ACC matchup at the Dean E. Smith Center. Both teams are searching for stability, with Notre Dame riding a four-game losing streak and North Carolina looking to rebound after back-to-back road losses.
Notre Dame has not won since a 47–40 victory at Stanford on December 30. Since then, the Irish have dropped games at California, at Virginia Tech, and suffered home losses to Clemson and Miami. Notre Dame is 10–8 overall and 1–4 in ACC play, tied with Boston College and Pittsburgh near the bottom of the standings. After this game, the Irish return home to face Boston College before road trips to Virginia and Syracuse.
North Carolina is 14–4 overall and 2–3 in league play, tied with SMU and Wake Forest in the ACC standings. The Tar Heels lost 95–90 at Stanford and 84–78 at California last week. Their most recent win came on January 10 against Wake Forest. North Carolina owns strong nonconference wins over Kansas and Kentucky, with its next two games coming at Virginia and Georgia Tech.
Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: When and Where
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Where to Watch or Stream
TV: ESPN2
Streaming: FuboTV
Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Betting Odds
Spread: North Carolina -10.5 | Notre Dame +10.5
Moneyline: North Carolina -575 | Notre Dame +425
Total: 145.5
Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Series History
All-time series: North Carolina leads 16–5
Last meeting: North Carolina won 76–56 (March 12, 2025)
Projected Starting Lineups
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#33 Carson Towt – 9.2 PPG
#10 Jalan Harlson – 14.7 PPG
#11 Braeden Shrewsberry – 11.0 PPG
#2 Logan Imes – 4.3 PPG
#13 Sir Mohammed – 5.4 PPG
Key Note: Cole Certa (#5) comes off the bench, averaging 9.2 PPG.
North Carolina Tar Heels
#8 Caleb Wilson – 19.7 PPG
#13 Henri Veesaar – 17.2 PPG
#7 Seth Trimble – 15.0 PPG
#3 Derek Dixon – 5.2 PPG
#15 Jarin Stevenson – 6.5 PPG
Key Note: Luka Bogavac (#44) averages 9.6 PPG off the bench.
Game Outlook
North Carolina returns home needing a response after a difficult road swing. Notre Dame has struggled to close games during its losing streak and will need a strong shooting night to stay competitive. The Tar Heels’ depth and home-court advantage give them a clear edge.