Free NCAA Football Prediction: Tar Heels vs. Hurricanes Odds
Looking for North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Hurricanes free picks? College football betting sees the Tar Heels taking on the Hurricanes on Saturday, October 8 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game Week 6 predictions like this North Carolina-Miami free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Week 6
North Carolina Tar Heels (4-1) vs. Miami Hurricanes (4-1)
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm EST
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: UNC +3.5 | MIA -3.5 (Bet Now!)
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Tar Heels +139 | Hurricanes -170
NCAA Betting Total Odds: O/U 66
The Tar Heels are 3.5-point underdogs as of this writing ahead of Saturday’s contest but they’re a program that has given the Hurricanes a lot of problems over the years. The home team may be 7-3 ATS in the last 10 matchups between these two, but it’s North Carolina who has the 5-2 ATS record in the last seven showdowns.
Miami does enter this one with a number of key statistical advantages, but there are two big ones North Carolina owns that even the most casual fan or bettor can appreciate: scoring and yards gained. UNC should have a clear offensive advantage, especially at QB.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Quarterback Drake Maye has been excellent so far this season. Just last week against Virginia Tech, the 19-year-old tallied 363 yards and three scores through the air—not to mention 73 yards and an additional two rushing scores.
Virginia Tech doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents at this point, but film from last week should have a Miami team that’s coming off of two straight losses thinking about how to balance the coverage against Maye and how to prevent the homerun plays.
The problem for North Carolina here won’t be its quarterback play or the offense at large. On the year, the team is posting 45.4 points per game, good enough for 11th-best in the nation. Through the air, UNC is collecting 319.6 yards per contest—the No. 12 rank in CFB—and also north of 187 yards on the ground (38th). The problem here could be the defense.
Miami doesn’t present as a barn-burner, but the Tar Heels have given up some big numbers already this season, including 61 to Appalachian State back in Week 2. North Carolina’s showing against Virginia Tech last week saw them hold the opponent to 10 points—but again: Virginia Tech really isn’t scaring anybody this season. Miami should be able to score in this one. The question is: Can it keep up?
Miami Hurricanes
Where Miami enters with an advantage is in categories like yards allowed, penalties and kicking. This group should also have the advantage by the end in time of possession.
These things can add up, but we can’t ignore how shaky the quarterback play has been early in the season. The headlines read “Miami football has been waiting two decades for a quarterback like Tyler Van Dyke” but it’s been a rough first month for the QB who had to listen to the boos rain down from his home crowd in their last outing.
Should Miami get the win, it would be huge for a few reasons. For starters, and most importantly, it would put the Hurricanes in the driver’s seat to take the Coastal Division. You can say that about North Carolina as well, but this can also be a game that builds up Van Dyke or makes the move to the backup official.
This game could very well be a tone-setter the rest of the way for the Hurricanes, for better or worse. We’ll see what kind of adjustments first-year head coach Mario Cristobal can make.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Over is 6-1 in Tar Heels last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Hurricanes are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Hurricanes last 6 home games.
- Underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
Free Week 6 NCAA Football Final Analysis:
It’s tough to see what oddsmakers see in Miami—or at least what they’re missing from UNC.
Mario Cristobal has announced he’s not making a change at the starting quarterback spot ahead of the Week 6 matchup. A win makes that decision look bold and brilliant. A loss might make it time to shake things up behind center.
Unfortunately for Miami, the Tar Heels look like they have the fire power to beat the spread and challenge the home team straight up.
If you’re looking for an underdog moneyline pick this week, this is one to think about.
4* Free Week 6 NCAA Betting Pick: UNC +139
If you’re looking for more picks like this North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Hurricanes matchup we’ll be providing 4* free College football game predictions on the blog all season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free CFB Football picks!
Register here for a FREE NCAA Football Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!
