College Football Week 1 Predictions: North Carolina vs. Minnesota (Thursday)
Week 0 gave us several high-quality games to watch, starting with Georgia Tech’s upset of Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. Montana State pulled off a big-time comeback in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to beat New Mexico on the road despite being an FCS team. SMU trailed Nevada for most of their matchup but quarterback Preston Stone and tight end R.J. Maryland went ballistic in the fourth quarter, winding up with a 29-24 win on the road against the Wolf Pack. Hawai’i kicked off at midnight and won by three touchdowns over FCS opponent, Delaware State, but it wasn’t enough to cover the opening 38-point spread in Honolulu.
Now, we’re getting a full slate of games heading into Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. It kicks off on Thursday, August 29, with four of the nation’s top 25 teams playing a non-ranked opponent. Here are my early College Football Week 1 predictions for North Carolina vs. Minnesota.
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College Football Week 1 Early Line Movement: North Carolina vs. Minnesota
North Carolina vs. Minnesota
UNC and Minnesota will kick off on Thursday night from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite neither team being ranked inside the top-25, this is a matchup that could offer plenty of entertainment.
Both teams have a new quarterback, as UNC lost Drake Maye, while Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck will need to find a way to generate more offense than we’ve seen during his tenure. In 2023, Minnesota ranked 110th in points per game (20.9) and relied on its stalwart defense to get the job done, winding up with a 6-7 record, winning only three games in the Big Ten.
UNC still has head coach Mack Brown, plus running back Omarion Hampton and wideouts Nate McCollum and Kobe Paysour. Oddsmakers have the Tar Heels valued as a slight moneyline favorite at -122, with the opening point spread shrinking from -2 to -1.5. UNC allowed slightly more points per game (27.3) in 2023 than Minnesota, which is why the point total is set to 50.5.
In this Big Ten – ACC matchup, I expect to see two offenses adjusting to their new personnel. Minnesota should continue to field a strong defense, while the Tar Heels’ defense has the advantage against a weaker Minnesota offense. The point total under 50.5 is my favorite bet in this game.
Best Bet: Under 50.5 (-110)
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.