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North Carolina vs Minnesota Prediction & College Football Odds for Week 3

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by USA WagerSeptember 13, 2023

The Minnesota Golden Gophers travel to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC. Kickoff for this week 3 game is set for 3:30 PM ET and will be televised on ESPN.

In this non-conference showdown, North Carolina is listed as 7.5 point road favorites against the Golden Gophers. Continue reading for my tips and betting advice.

Prediction at a Glance for North Carolina vs. Minnesota

The value is there for Minnesota at +7.5.
North Carolina take this one straight-up, but not feeling agressive enough to go after the spread.
The model points to the under.

Betting Odds & Lines for This Game

Spread: Minnesota +7.5 | North Carolina -7.5
Total: 50
MoneyLine: Minnesota +228 | North Carolina -291

All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)

North Carolina vs. Minnesota Prediction: Spread

The Golden Gophers now hold a 2-0 ATS record for the year, after failing to cover the spread vs. Eastern Michigan. Minnesota’s three most recent games vs. the spread has seen them go 1-2 against the spread.

Following their game against MINNST, the Tar Heels’ ATS record stands at 1-0, as they were unable to cover the spread despite being favored by 19.0. Looking across North Carolina’s three most recent home games, they are 2-1 against the spread.

With Minnesota running the ball well against Appalachian State and North Carolina’s defense showing vulnerability against the run vs. Eastern Michigan, I’m leaning towards Minnesota at +7.5 for this matchup.

Free Spread Prediction: Golden Gophers +7.5 (Bet Now)

North Carolina vs. Minnesota Prediction: MoneyLine

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are coming off a 25-6 win over Eastern Michigan and are looking to remain undefeated as they prepare to take on North Carolina. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis didn’t manage to throw a touchdown pass in the team’s win against Eastern Michigan, but he did contribute one touchdown while achieving a completion percentage of 66.7% and 117 passing yards overall.

Before their upcoming game with Minnesota, the North Carolina Tar Heels boast a perfect record of 2-0. In their most recent game, they secured a 40-34 victory over Appalachian State. In North Carolina’s win, Drake Maye threw the ball 30 times for 208 yards. He didn’t throw for a touchdown in the game but did find the endzone with his legs.

I expect North Carolina to come out on top in this matchup, but I’d advise you to stick with the moneyline bet. The game might be tighter than you think, but North Carolina should ultimately pull out the win over Minnesota.

Free MoneyLine Prediction: Tar Heels -291 (Bet Now)

North Carolina vs. Minnesota Prediction: Total

With their last game against Eastern Michigan staying below the over/under line of 48, Minnesota has an over/under record of 0-2 for the season, with a combined total of 31 points. Over the course of their three previous games, Minnesota has an OU record of 1-2.

After combining with Appalachian State for 74 and an over/under line of 58, the Tar Heels have a current over/under record of 0-2 for the season. North Carolina has an OU record of 1-2 across their past three games.

With the over/under line set at 50, I’m going with the under. So far this season, games involving Minnesota have averaged 27 points per game, and I expect this game to stay below 50.