Georgia Tech vs NC State Preview and Final Score Prediction

Can Georgia Tech get a shocking win today on the road vs NC State?

Jan 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jaeden Mustaf (3) shoots against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is coming off an embarrassing loss to 8-9 Pittsburgh earlier this week and they are hoping to shake off that performance and be able to pull a shocker at NC State today. The Yellow Jackets are going to be pretty big underdogs, but NC State has not been perfect in Will Wade's first season.

Kam Craft led Georgia Tech off the bench on Wednesday, chipping in 14 points against Pittsburgh, and was one of four Jackets in double-figures.

NC State comes into the contest having won two straight and five of the last six. The Wolfpack is one of seven teams in the ACC to own at least three league wins early in the conference season. Darrion Williams is leading NC State, averaging 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game against league opponents. He is one of five players averaging double-figure scoring numbers in ACC play for the Wolfpack.

Who wins?

Jan 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire on the sideline against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

NC State set a program record for margin of victory in an ACC road game with a 113-69 win at Florida State last Saturday. The Pack jumped out to an 11-0 lead and never looked back. NC State led by 25 at halftime, and after FSU opened the second half on a 10-2 run to cut the Pack's lead to 17, NC State responded with a 26-6 run to put the game out of reach.

NC State tied the program record with 19 made three-pointers in the win over the Seminoles. It also tied an ACC record for most three-pointers by a single team in an ACC game. It's the third time in program history that NC State has made 19 three-pointers in a game and the second time this season (NC State also hit 19 three-pointers in the season-opening win over NC Central) The Pack started the game 1-for-9 from long range, but then made seven straight three-pointers as it made 18 of its final 26 three-point attempts in the win at FSU.

Darrion Williams and Georgia Tech's Lamar Washington were teammates at Texas Tech in the 2023-24 season. Ironically, their final game together at Texas Tech was March 21, 2024 when the sixth-seeded Red Raiders lost to 11th-seed NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as the Pack continued its winning streak on the way to the Final Four. Williams had 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Red Raiders in that game while Washington did not play.

NC State ranks 29th in the most recent NET rankings through games of Jan. 14. NC State's average opponent NET rank though 17 games is 127 which ranks as the third-toughest of any ACC team and 27th toughest schedule in the NCAA. Seven of the Pack's 13 non-conference games this season are currently Q1 or Q2 games.  The seven Q1/Q2 games are the most of any ACC team in non-con play and the Pack's four Q1 games are second only to Duke for the most of any ACC team in non-conference. As of the current NET rankings, NC State will have nine Q1 and three Q2 opportunities in ACC action.

Georgia Tech and NC State are meeting for the 107th time in program history on Saturday after the Yellow Jackets took last year’s meeting in McCamish Pavilion. Tech is 1-1 when facing NC State under head coach Damon Stoudamire – in his first season, the Wolfpack squeaked out a narrow 82-76 decision in Raleigh. Last year, the Jackets captured an 87-62 decision, snapping a four-game skid against the Wolfpack, behind Baye Ndongo’s career night with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Jaeden Mustaf joined Ndongo in double-figures last season with 13 points.

Last Saturday, Georgia Tech fell behind early against Miami, made a comeback, but could not get the upset.

Georgia Tech got off to a slow start and was held to just 33.3 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes to Miami’s 50.0 percent effort from the floor. After trailing by double-digits early, the Yellow Jackets attacked their deficit and closed the gap to within seven points, 31-24, following a Chas Kelley III three-pointer at 6:04, but the Hurricanes would maintain their lead into intermission. Miami led by as many as 14 in the first half and shot 50.0 percent from the field to hold a 47-33 halftime lead.

It was a tale of two halves as Georgia Tech shot 56.7 percent from the field in the second half and trimmed its deficit to five points down the stretch. The Hurricanes maintained their double-digit lead until Baye Ndongo and Reeves strung together a 6-0 spurt to cut the score to 77-72 with 4:13 to play. The Jackets would come within five twice more in the final minutes, but a three-pointer from Tre Donaldson with 39.7 seconds on the clock put Miami in front, 88-77. Tech would not come any closer as Miami kept its home record unblemished.

The Yellow Jackets have not been playing well, but can they pull a surprise today?

I don't think so and I think this game could get ugly. College basketball has a way of surprising you when you least expect it, but I don't see Georgia Tech getting a road win today.

Final Score: NC State 85, Georgia Tech 67