North Carolina vs. Minnesota prediction, odds, time: 2024 college football picks, Week 1 bets by top models
The Week 1 college football schedule begins with a Big Ten vs. ACC showdown on Thursday night. The Minnesota Golden Gophers host the North Carolina Tar Heels for a crucial matchup to start the season. Both teams stumbled in the final stretch in 2023, so a Week 1 win could go a long way in boosting confidence for the winner. UNC lost five of its last seven games last season, while Minnesota went 1-4 in its last five contests.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. According to the latest North Carolina vs. Minnesota odds via SportsLine consensus, UNC is a 1.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points is 50.5. Before locking in any Minnesota vs. North Carolina picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its launch, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a 13-9 season in profits on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on North Carolina vs. Minnesota and has just set its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine right now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Minnesota vs. North Carolina:
- UNC vs. Minnesota Spread: UNC -1.5
- UNC vs. Minnesota Over/Under: 50.5 points
- UNC vs. Minnesota Money Line: UNC -127, Minnesota +107
- UNC: The Tar Heels are 2-5 in their last seven games
- MIN: The Golden Gophers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games at home
- UNC vs. Minnesota Picks: See Picks at SportsLine
Why North Carolina Can Cover
Running back Omarion Hampton was a dominant workhorse for the Tar Heels last season. He finished the 2023 campaign with 253 carries for 1,504 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and hauled in 26 receptions for 215 yards and a score. Hampton’s explosiveness was a big reason the Tar Heels averaged 34.5 points per game last season, which ranked 20th in college football.
North Carolina fell behind in 2023, losing five of its last seven games. However, the Tar Heels are 4-1 in their last five games played in Week 1. Head coach Mack Brown has 282 wins during his career, the most among current coaches and seventh on the FBS all-time list. Here’s a look at which team to pick.
Why Minnesota Can Cover
The Golden Gophers have an experienced offense and return their leading rusher from last season. Darius Taylor rushed for 799 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. As a team, Minnesota rushed for over 2,048 yards, and they will likely have a ground and pound offensive attack again in 2024.
Defensively, Minnesota gave up 26.69 points per game last season, which ranked 67th in college football. Defensive end Jah Joyner led the Golden Gophers with 7.5 sacks in 2023 and he will lead Minnesota’s defense again in 2024. Edge rusher Danny Strigo had 51 total tackles with six sacks last season, including 30 solo. See which team to pick here.
How to choose Minnesota vs. UNC
SportsLine’s model is leaning toward the over, projecting a total of 58 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can find the model’s picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins North Carolina vs. Minnesota, and which side of the spread hits in more than 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread is going to move, all from an advanced computer simulation model that has already made more than $2,000 on its college football picks since inception, and find out.
