Week 1 of the 2024 college football season kicks off with an ACC vs. Big Ten showdown as North Carolina travels to Minnesota. The Tar Heels are 4-1 in their last five Week 1 games, so Mack Brown's squad will be confident they can secure a win on the road. The Golden Gophers will also be full of confidence going into Thursday's matchup after winning 10 straight games in August. With both teams looking for early season wins, oddsmakers are expecting a close game on Thursday night.
Kickoff at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is scheduled for 8 PM ET. SportsLine's latest consensus North Carolina vs. Minnesota odds have the Tar Heels favored by 1.5 points, and the over/under for total points is 51.5. Before locking in any Minnesota vs. North Carolina picks, be sure to check the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine prediction model.
The model simulates FBS college football games 10,000 times. Since inception, the model has generated well over $2,000 in profits for players who spend $100 on the top rated college football picks against the spread. The model also just finished a season with a profitable 13-9 record on its top rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed this model has seen significant profits.
Now, the model has set its sights on North Carolina vs. Minnesota and has locked in its predictions and CFB projections: To see the model's predictions, visit SportsLine now: Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Minnesota vs. North Carolina:
UNC vs. Minnesota spread: UNC -1.5UNC vs. Minnesota over/under: 51.5 pointsUNC vs. Minnesota moneyline: UNC -127, Minnesota +107UNC: Tar Heels are 2-5 against the spread in their last 7 road gamesMINN: Golden Gophers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home gamesUNC vs. Minnesota picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina has you covered
Running back Omarion Hampton was an effective workhorse for the Tar Heels last season. He finished the 2023 season with 1,504 yards on 253 carries and 15 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and had 26 receptions for 215 yards and one score. Hampton's explosiveness was a big reason the Tar Heels averaged 34.5 points per game last season, ranking 20th in college football.
North Carolina stumbled late in the 2023 season, losing five of its final seven games, but the Tar Heels are 4-1 in their last five games played in Week 1. Head coach Mack Brown has 282 wins in his career, the most of any active coach and seventh-most on the FBS all-time list. Find out which team you should pick here.
Why Minnesota has you covered
Head coach P.J. Fleck enters his seventh season with the Golden Gophers and will have quarterback Max Brosmer at the helm of the offense in 2024. Brosmer is in his sixth season of college football after transferring from New Hampshire to fill a pressing need on a team coming off a 6-7 season. Brosmer ranked first in the FCS in passing yards per game (314.9) last season and second in receiving yards (3,464) and passing touchdowns (29).
Brosmer will play alongside several talented wide receivers, including 2023 All-Big Ten second-team selection Daniel Jackson. Last season, Jackson had 59 receptions for 831 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 14.1 yards per reception and will be a go-to target for Brosmer when it matters. Find out which team to pick here.
How to predict Minnesota vs. UNC
The SportsLine model is leaning toward the Over, with the point total predicted to be 58 points. The model also predicts that one side of the spread will win more than 50% of the time. This model's projections are available exclusively at SportsLine.
So who will win North Carolina vs. Minnesota, and which side of the spread will come out right in over 50% of simulations? Head to SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you should bet on, from an advanced computer simulation model that's made over $2,000 in profits on college football predictions since its inception.
