Pack Predictions

2026 season

How to Play

How it works

  1. Every game, you pick the score. The closer you are, the more points you get.
  2. Getting close is good, picking the winner is also good. Doing both is best.
  3. Three ways to win. Week to week, Carolina week (the Winners Circle), and the season long race.
  4. Before the season starts, call the record. Predicting NC State's final regular season record earns bonus points for entering, and more for getting it right.

The Winners Circle is that Carolina week race. Anyone who wins or ties for the lead in any of the games before Carolina qualifies. It's one seat per person however many weeks you win, and the Circle runs on the UNC game for the Yeti.

Tiebreaker scenarios for each competition are in the full contest rules.

Scoring details

What you didPoints
Picked the winning team+10
Off by 5 or less+25
Off by 6–10+20
Off by 11–15+15
Off by 16–20+10
Off by 21–25+5
Off by 26 or more0
Exact final score bonus+20
Submitted a pick that week+5

Record prediction scoring

What you didPoints
Submitted a record prediction+10
Exact final record bonus+25

Score error is both teams' misses added together: predict 24–20, it finishes 27–17, that's 3 + 3 = 6. A perfect week is 60, 55 from the score prediction and 5 for entering. Bands are fixed for the whole of 2026 and won't move once entries open. The full rules are at /rules.

Scoring example

Final score: NC State 24, Virginia 27
Entry A
NC State 17 · Virginia 31
Off by 11 combined, in the 11–15 band+15
Picked Virginia, correct+10
Submitted a pick+5
Game total30
Entry B
NC State 27 · Virginia 24
Off by 6 combined, in the 6–10 band+20
Picked NC State, wrong0
Submitted a pick+5
Game total25

Entry B was five points closer on the score and still finished behind. Getting the winner right is worth more than being close.

Game winners take a Pack Predictions hat, the season champion takes a Blackstone tailgate griddle, and the Winners Circle plays for a Yeti Roadie cooler. Full prize details.

Ready? Pick the Record · Pick 'Em · See the leaderboard · Full contest rules