The Minnesota Golden Gophers host the North Carolina Tar Heels at Huntington Bank Stadium on Thursday in the season opener for both teams. Kickoff is at 8pm ET (FOX). Below, we break down FanDuel Sportsbook's North Carolina vs. Minnesota odds and give our college football expert predictions and forecasts.
The Golden Gophers finished last season 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten Conference. Minnesota returns 10 of the 11 starters for the program from last season on the offensive line. QB Max Brosmer is new, having spent the past few seasons with the New Hampshire Wildcats.
The Tar Heels need to find out what life is like without QB Drake Maye, who carried almost all of the team's offensive line last season. Maye was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. North Carolina finished with a disappointing 8-5 record and 4-4 record in ACC play. Running back Omarion Hampton returns after rushing for 1,504 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. The Tar Heels will be led by QB Max Johnson, who played at Texas A&M and Louisiana State. Johnson's best season was in 2021 with the Tigers, when he threw 27 touchdowns and six interceptions.
– Rankings: U.S. LBM Coaches Poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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North Carolina vs Minnesota odds
Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. For the complete list, visit the USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds Hub. Lines last updated Wednesday at 7:01 a.m. ET.
Money Line (ML): North Carolina -130 (bet $100 to win $100) | Minnesota +108 (bet $100 to win $108) Against the Spread (ATS): North Carolina -1.5 (-120) | Minnesota +1.5 (-102) Over/Under (O/U): 50.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
North Carolina vs Minnesota predictions and forecasts
prediction
North Carolina 27, Minnesota 23
Money Line
Bet on North Carolina (-130).
The Tar Heels have a solid talent pool, led by a veteran quarterback, and Johnson should have less pressure in the ACC than he did as the only weapon at Texas A&M, and he'll be healthy heading into 2024. He'll have some talented players around him, like Hampton.
North Carolina swept Minnesota 31-13 last season and won its first six games, including non-conference wins over Appalachian State and South Carolina.
Minnesota acquired Brosmer, but his play at this level remains questionable. He was a standout at New Hampshire, but certainly not at the level needed to succeed in Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were 4-9 against the spread (ATS) last season.
If you want to pick a team with more talent, bet on North Carolina (-130).
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Preventing the spread
Passed.
There is some value here, but the preferred risk is on the moneyline after the marginal spread. Either play is acceptable, but the moneyline is the preferred route.
Over/Under
Bet under 50.5 (-110).
While the offenses may have had an intense scrimmage and preseason, things don't always go according to plan come season opener, and both North Carolina and Minnesota have new starting quarterbacks who are unproven at this level.
Despite a dynamic offense spearheaded by Maye, UNC was 6-6-1 O/U last season while Minnesota was 6-7. Expect UNC to struggle to move the ball, at least early on, and fall back to UNDER 50.5 (-110).
Online sports betting has opened in North Carolina!
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