North Carolina Tar Heels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, GA

TV: ACC Network

The North Carolina Tar Heels (16-4) are hitting the road to McCamish Pavilion on Saturday where they will compete against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-10).

The North Carolina Tar Heels played Virginia and notched a win by a score of 85-80 in their last game. North Carolina ended the contest with a 49.2% FG percentage (30 out of 61) and knocked down 10 out of their 22 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Tar Heels made 15 of their 22 shots for a rate of 68.2%. In regard to grabbing rebounds, they compiled 25 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 17 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 10 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Regarding defense, North Carolina allowed their opponent to shoot 45.3% from the floor on 29 out of 64 shooting. Virginia earned 14 dimes and had 2 steals in the game. In addition, Virginia snagged 38 rebounds (13 offensive, 25 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Virginia finished the game shooting 70.0% at the free throw line by burying 14 of their 20 attempts. They knocked down 8 of their 27 shots from downtown. In reference to fouls, the Tar Heels walked away with 14 while Virginia racked up 18 fouls.

Caleb Wilson is a guy who was a major factor in the game. He ended up shooting 66.7% from the floor and recorded 2 dimes. He saw the court for 34 minutes and also snagged 4 boards. He ended up walking away with 20 points on 8 out of 12 shooting.

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North Carolina enters this one with a win-loss record of 16-4 this season. They are averaging 82.6 pts per contest (68th in college) while shooting 48.2% from the field. The Tar Heels are shooting 34.6% on 3-pointers (176 of 509) and 67.6% from the free throw line. As a unit, North Carolina is snagging 40.1 boards per game and has totaled 341 assists for the season, which has them ranked 69th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They turn it over 9.9 times per game and as a group they commit 14.9 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Tar Heels are able to force 9.6 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 19.2 personal fouls. They relinquish 33.6% on shots from distance and they rank 87th in the nation in points per game from their opponents (70.1). The Tar Heels defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 39.9% (510 of 1,279) and they relinquish 33.7 rebounds per game as a group. They are currently ranked 99th in college hoops in giving up assists with 257 surrendered on the campaign.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets went home defeated by a final of 71-65 against Virginia Tech. When talking about attacking the glass, Georgia Tech permitted Virginia Tech to collect 34 overall (12 on the offensive glass). They finished 27.6% from downtown by shooting 8 of 29 and finished the contest at 19 of 26 at the charity stripe (73.1%). The Yellow Jackets allowed Virginia Tech to bury 22 of their 65 tries from the field which had them shooting 33.8% in this contest. In all, the Yellow Jackets finished shooting 25 for 57 from the floor which gave them a rate of 43.9%. Concerning shots from beyond the perimeter, Georgia Tech made 3 of 17 attempts (17.6%). They were able to make 12 of the free throw tries for a rate of 70.6%. Virginia Tech had 18 fouls in the matchup which took the Yellow Jackets to the free throw line for 17 shots. They also gave up possession 13 times, while earning 2 steals for this contest. The Yellow Jackets were able to collect 25 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 34 for the game.

Jaeden Mustaf was important for the Yellow Jackets for the contest. He buried 6 out of 15 in this contest for a field goal percentage of 40.0%, and had 11 rebounds. He tallied 16 points in his 35 mins of playing time and earned 2 dimes for the contest.

Georgia Tech has a win-loss mark of 11-10 so far this year. As an offensive team, the Yellow Jackets are connecting on 44.8% from the field, which ranks them 216th in D-1. Georgia Tech has accounted for 1,564 pts for the season (74.5 per contest) and they grab 39.1 boards per game. Their rate of earning assists is at 16.4 times per contest (59th in the country) and they turn it over 13.6 times per contest. The Yellow Jackets are committing 18.1 fouls per game and they hit 68.9% from the charity stripe.

The Georgia Tech defense surrenders 30.6% on three-point shots (176 of 576) and opponents are converting on 68.5% of their free throw attempts. They have surrendered 14.2 assists and 35.8 total boards per game, which is ranked 249th and 262nd in D-1. The Yellow Jackets on the defensive end are ranked 171st in D-1 in points per game surrendered with 73.1. They are forcing 11.3 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.2% from the field (33rd in Division 1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take North Carolina

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