North Carolina Tar Heels vs Virginia Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 10/26/24
Scott Stadium in Charlottesville is the setting for this week nine matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers and North Carolina Tar Heels, with kick-off set for 12:00 ET. The game can be seen on CW, and the Cavaliers are the -5 point favorites at home. The money line odds have Virginia at -208 and North Carolina at +172, with the over/under line currently at 58.5 points. Virginia comes in with a 4-3 record, while North Carolina is 3-4 on the season.
NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS VS VIRGINIA CAVALIERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: North Carolina Tar Heels +5
This game will be played at Scott Stadium at 12:00 ET on Saturday, October 26th.
WHY BET THE NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS:
- We have the Virginia Cavaliers winning this one by a score of 32 to 29
- Even though we like the Virginia Cavaliers to win, our ATS pick is to take the North Carolina Tar Heels at +5
- Look for this game to go over the line of 58.5 points
Will The North Carolina Tar Heels Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
North Carolina enters Week 9 against Virginia with a 3-4 record, ranking 69th in our power rankings. They have a 50.8% chance of becoming bowl-eligible but are out of the running for the Atlantic Coast title. The Tar Heels are 1-3 on the road and 1-1 at home this season.
Despite a +2.4 average scoring margin, North Carolina is 0-5-1 against the spread. They’ve been favored in four games, going 0-3-1 ATS as the favorite and 0-2 as the underdog.
The Tar Heels’ over/under record is 3-3, with their games averaging 63.3 points. This week’s line is 58.5, higher than their average line of 54.6 points.
North Carolina’s offense is averaging 32.9 points per game, placing them 32nd in the nation heading into week 9. They are ranked 70th in our offensive power rankings. The Tar Heels have focused on their ground game, averaging 198.7 rushing yards per game on 38.1 attempts.
Omarion Hampton leads the rushing attack with 901 yards, seven touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. Quarterback Jacolby Criswell has thrown for 1,367 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. North Carolina ranks 26th in passing attempts, averaging 245.7 yards per game.
North Carolina’s defense has struggled this season, allowing 30.4 points per game. In their recent game against Georgia Tech, they gave up 41 points, despite limiting the Yellow Jackets to 80 rushing yards on 28 attempts and forcing two interceptions. Georgia Tech threw for 269 yards against the Tar Heels.
Opponents have averaged 239.6 passing yards per game against North Carolina, ranking them 119th nationally, though quarterbacks have completed just 54.3% of their passes, the 17th-lowest rate in the country. The Tar Heels have also allowed 161.1 rushing yards per game this season.
Are The Virginia Cavaliers Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Virginia enters Week 9 with a 4-3 record, hosting North Carolina. They rank 61st in our CFB power rankings and have a 46.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, the Cavaliers are 1-2, while they’ve gone 2-1 on the road this season.
Against the spread, Virginia is 4-1-1, with a +2.3 average scoring margin. They’ve covered twice as favorites (2-1-1) and are 2-0 ATS as underdogs.
The over/under line for this week is 58.5, higher than any of Virginia’s previous games. Their over/under record is 3-3, with an average line of 54.4 points and games averaging 53.7 points.
Virginia’s offense is averaging 28 points per game heading into week 9, placing them 55th in the nation. They are ranked 69th in our offensive power rankings. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has thrown for 1,649 yards with 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 95.
Virginia ranks 24th in passing completions, averaging 21.6 per game, and they are 33rd in passing attempts. They are 34th in passing yards, averaging 262.7 yards per game, with a completion rate of 64.3%. Malachi Fields leads the team with 606 receiving yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, Virginia is averaging 160.1 rushing yards per game.
Virginia’s defense struggled in their recent game against Clemson, allowing 48 points and 540 total yards. Clemson gained 345 passing yards and 195 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns through the air and three on the ground. Virginia did manage to force one interception in the game.
On the season, Virginia’s defense is giving up 25.7 points per game. They rank 151st nationally in passing yards allowed, surrendering 272.6 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 134 rushing yards per game on 33.4 attempts against Virginia’s defense.