Halftime Report

A win for N. Carolina would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have jumped out to a quick 31-30 lead against Georgia Tech. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams' last head-to-head, which was decided by just one point.

N. Carolina entered the matchup with three straight defeats and they're well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will Georgia Tech hand them another loss? Only time will tell.

Who's Playing

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ N. Carolina Tar Heels

Current Records: Georgia Tech 4-4, N. Carolina 4-4

How To Watch

What to Know

If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for N. Carolina. They and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will face off in an ACC battle at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 88.4 points per game this season.

N. Carolina will face Georgia Tech after dropping another heartbreaker against Alabama on Wednesday, which marked the second time in a row the team's come within 3.1 of beating them. N. Carolina took a hard 94-79 fall against Alabama. It was the first time this season that the Tar Heels let down their fans at home.

N. Carolina's loss came about despite a quality game from Ian Jackson, who went 10 for 17 en route to 23 points plus five rebounds and two steals. Jackson is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech lost to Oklahoma on the road by a decisive 76-61 margin on Tuesday.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Duncan Powell, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 rebounds. His performance made up for a slower match against Cent. Arkansas on Saturday.

N. Carolina's defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-4. As for Georgia Tech, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 4-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: N. Carolina hasn't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 10 turnovers per game. However, it's not like Georgia Tech struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 10.5. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

N. Carolina and Georgia Tech were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January, but N. Carolina came up empty-handed after a 74-73 defeat. Will N. Carolina have more luck at home instead of on the road?

Odds

N. Carolina is a big 16.5-point favorite against Georgia Tech, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 16.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 163.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

N. Carolina has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Georgia Tech.

  • Jan 30, 2024 - Georgia Tech 74 vs. N. Carolina 73
  • Dec 10, 2022 - N. Carolina 75 vs. Georgia Tech 59
  • Jan 15, 2022 - N. Carolina 88 vs. Georgia Tech 65
  • Dec 05, 2021 - N. Carolina 79 vs. Georgia Tech 62
  • Dec 30, 2020 - Georgia Tech 72 vs. N. Carolina 67
  • Jan 04, 2020 - Georgia Tech 96 vs. N. Carolina 83
  • Jan 29, 2019 - N. Carolina 77 vs. Georgia Tech 54
  • Jan 20, 2018 - N. Carolina 80 vs. Georgia Tech 66
  • Dec 31, 2016 - Georgia Tech 75 vs. N. Carolina 63
  • Jan 02, 2016 - N. Carolina 86 vs. Georgia Tech 78