Full Game Preview and Score Prediction for Virginia Tech vs. No. 18 North Carolina

Virginia Tech men's basketball is back in action today when it challenges No. 18 North Carolina.

The Hokies (18-10, 7-8 ACC) continue to sit on the brink in regard to their NCAA Tournament hopes, currently sitting on the wrong side of the bubble on ESPN's bracket entering tonight. Virginia Tech is currently listed as the sixth team out of the tournament on ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's seed list.

North Carolina has lacked star freshman forward Caleb Wilson; the likely 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick (should he forgo a second year of college) has averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 boards a night, both top-35 numbers in Division I. In all 24 games he played, Wilson scored in double-figures. Moreover, Wilson has logged 20 or more points in 17 of his 24 played games this season. Before his injury vs. Miami, he was on a five-game streak with 20 or more points.

Still, North Carolina has not sunk as a result of Wilson's injury. In his absence, the Tar Heels have gone 3-1, with victories over Pittsburgh (79-65), Syracuse (77-64) and then-No. 24 Louisville (77-74). North Carolina sustained a blowout loss to NC State on Feb. 17, though, falling 82-58.

Virginia Tech also lost to NC State, falling 82-73 Feb. 7 in Raleigh. The Hokies have not won in North Carolina since the 2023-24 season, when they toppled NC State on Jan. 20, 2024. Virginia Tech is 1-8 in its last nine trips to the Tar Heel State. North Carolina is also 16-0 in the Dean E. Smith Center this year; the Hokies have not won there since 2007.

In the Tar Heels' last game, vs. Louisville, North Carolina was anchored by a career-high 30 points from guard Seth Trimble. The senior guard has averaged 14.2 points on 47.6% shooting this season and has totaled 15 points per game at home — albeit with a 18.2% shooting clip from deep at the Dean E. Smith Center.

North Carolina has sustained five losses in league play, with three coming in a four-game stretch to start off 2026. The Tar Heels lost to SMU (97-83), Stanford (95-90) and California (84-78). Since then, North Carolina hasn't really looked back.

The Tar Heels erupted on a five-game winning streak with wins over now-No. 11 Virginia (85-80) and current No. 1 Duke (then-No. 4; 71-68). That streak was only halted by Wilson's injury vs. Miami.

Lunardi's bracket currently projects North Carolina as a No. 6 seed, set to venture to Tampa to play the winner of Auburn vs. TCU in his bracket.

There's also Estonian center Henri Veesaar to contend with. The Tar Heels big has totaled 16.3 points on 61.4% shooting (latter: No. 21 in Division I). Veesar is shooting 68% inside the arc, 36th-best in D-1. He is also averaging a 43.1% clip from deep and a 67.5% true-shooting clip, 40th-best in the country.

"Sometimes when a guy goes down, other guys elevate," said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young on this week's Tech Talk Live show. "We’ve seen that ourselves. They’ve gotten better guard play without Wilson. They’ve had guys step up. We’ve got our hands full.

"We’re looking forward to getting down there. We’ve had a couple of really good days of practice. Our team is excited. We’ve got a lot on the line."

At the time of writing, the Hokies are 6.5-point pups on ESPNBET.

NOTE: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

They'll have Tyler Johnson available, though, for the first time since Dec. 20. Johnson missed the last 15 games after averaging 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in non-conference play.

"I’m going to slow-play it," Young said. "He practiced all week. ... He looked more like himself. There’s been some erosion with his ball skills, his passing, his ball handling, which is to be expected. He hasn’t played since December 20, but it’s time to rev him up and get going, and he’s ready."

The Tar Heels and Hokies will square off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET, with coverage for the contest being available on ESPN2.