iv class=”bodyContent col-lg-9 mb-3″>
The North Carolina Tar Heels are slight road favorites over the Minnesota Golden Gophers as the two teams take the field for the first time in 2024.
There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to making the best North Carolina vs. Minnesota predictions for Week 1 at our best sports betting sites. The Golden Gophers hit the transfer portal and picked up Max Brosmer to fix their 126th-ranked passing offense, a quarterback who threw for 3,459 yards with the New Hampshire Wildcats last year. Will he enjoy that type of success this season?
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels still have not officially announced the starting quarterback for Week 1. Most assume it will be Max Johnson, but the offense is going to be much worse than a year ago with Drake Maye under center no matter who starts for North Carolina.
North Carolina vs. Minnesota picks
College football picks& nbsp;based on the odds from our best college football betting sites. Odds subject to change.
- Game pick: Under 45.5 (+151 via DraftKings) ???
- Player prop: Max Brosmer Over 199.5 passing yards (+200 via bet365) ???
North Carolina vs. Minnesota prediction: Week 1
Brosmer's addition to the Minnesota offense instantly makes the Golden Gophers better. And while he gets a favorable matchup in Week 1, Brosmer could perform well without the Golden Gophers scoring a lot of points. After all, they boast an offense that averaged just 20.9 points per game last season.
And while the Tar Heels averaged 32.5 points per game, all of their stats can be thrown out with Maye heading to the NFL. Omarion Hampton will be the star for the Tar Heels in this contest. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season, but his role in this clash will be bleeding the clock.
Neither defense was very good last season. The Tar Heels couldn't stop the run or pass, and the Golden Gophers allowed 26.7 points per game. Improvements aren't forecasted on either side, so this will come down to the offenses.
The Tar Heels take a huge step back and will probably average seven to 10 points fewer than they did one year ago. That leaves them around 22-25 points per game. The Golden Gophers are good enough to hold them to that average.
Minneosta's offense elevated during the offseason, but it's still far from great. Taking Under 50.5 points provides very little value at our best sportsbooks. But getting the alternate Under at 45.5 points in a game that could easily end with a final score of 24-21 or even lower is worth it at +151.
Best odds: +151 via DraftKings | Implied probability: 39.84%
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets
?? PLUS 1 month of NFL+ Premium subscription. Terms and conditions apply.
Claim $200
Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly
North Carolina vs. Minnesota player prop
Brosmer's competition wasn't very strong in 2023, but that doesn't take away from what he was able to accomplish.
He threw for at least 200 yards in all but one of his games, and Brosmer exceeded 300 yards six times. The signal-caller won't enjoy the same success at the FBS level, but the Tar Heels' defense is far from frightening.
The Tar Heels allowed 245.9 passing yards per game in 2023. They also gave up 168.3 rushing yards per contest. The Golden Gophers could lean heavily on their run game, but this matchup provides them with the opportunity to showcase a balanced attack.
DraftKings and FanDuel are both offering this prop at +155 or lower. So getting this number at +200 leads to highly appealing value for our Week 1 college football predictions. Brosmer doesn't need to be what he was last year. He jus t needs to take advantage of the opportunities the passer is given.
Best odds: +200 via bet365 | Implied probability: 33.33%
Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Claim $150
Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly
North Carolina vs. Minnesota odds
See all of this week's college football odds and NCAAF scores.
North Carolina vs. Minnesota game info
- When: Thursday, Aug. 29
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
- How to watch: FOX
- Weather: 61 degrees, 25% chance of rain
- Favorite: North Carolina (-125 via BetMGM)
College football betting odds pages
| College football championship odds | College football win totals | Big Ten championship odds | Mountain West championship odds |
| Heisman Trophy Odds | FCS Championship odds | Big 12 championship odds | MAC championship odds |
| College Football Playoff Odds | SEC championship odds | ACC championship odds | College bowl game odds |
Here are our
best college football betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)