The 20th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels can close out their roller-coaster season with a win over a top-10 program when they visit Hard Rock Stadium to take on the ninth-ranked Miami Hurricanes on Saturday. UNC (7-3) has one of the nation's best offenses, with sophomore quarterback Sam Howell leading a unit that scores more than 40 points per game. But the defense has been inconsistent and gives up more than 420 yards per contest. The Hurricanes (8-1) are shooting for a New Year's Six bowl, with a 42-17 setback to then-No. 1 Clemson the only blemish.
Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Hurricanes as three-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. Miami odds, and the over-under for total points scored is set at 71. Before locking in any Miami vs. North Carolina picks, check out the college football predictions from SportsLine's Emory Hunt, given the success he's had picking the Tar Heels.
The founder of Football Gameplan, Hunt played running back at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and coached high-school football before becoming a SportsLine expert and CBS Sports HQ analyst. He enjoyed a dominant 2019 season, going 116-79 against the spread while returning nearly $3,000 to $100 bettors.
Moreover, Hunt has a keen eye for the tendencies of the Tar Heels. In fact, he is an eye-popping 12-3 against the spread in his last 15 college football picks for or against UNC.
Now, Hunt has set his sights on UNC vs. Miami. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Miami vs. UNC:
- UNC vs. Miami: Hurricanes -3
- UNC vs. Miami over-under: 71
- UNC vs. Miami money line: Tar Heels +140, Hurricanes -160
- UNC: WR Dyami Brown has a reception of at least 50 yards in three of the last five games.
- MIA: WR Mike Harley has at least 100 receiving yards in three of the past four, topping 150 twice.
Why Miami can cover
Miami is 9-3 against the spread this season, and quarterback D'Eriq King has made a huge difference for the offense. He has thrown for 2,334 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for another 467 and four scores. He has completed 64 percent of his throws and has just four interceptions. Receiver Mike Harley has been the biggest beneficiary, catching 43 passes for 653 yards and five touchdowns, including an 89-yarder. Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins have a combined 59 catches.
The Hurricanes are 5-2 ATS in their last seven as a favorite, and tight ends Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory also are invaluable, combining for 590 yards and scoring four times apiece. The defense has 16 sacks and 16 takeaways, with safety Bubba Bolden the playmaker with a sack, an interception and four forced fumbles. Jaelan Phillips has 6.5 sacks and Quincy Roche has four, and they combined for three as the Canes forced five turnovers in a 48-0 rout of Duke last week.
Why North Carolina can cover
UNC is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven after passing for more than 280 yards in their previous game, and Howell surpassed that in the first half last week. He threw for 287 and three TDs before the break in a 49-9 win against Western Carolina. He is third in the nation in passing yards (3,129) and tied for fifth in TD passes (26). Receiver Dyami Brown averages 18.3 yards per catch, and he and Dazz Newsome have a combined 97 receptions and 13 TDs.
The running game is just as potent, with Michael Carter and Javonte Williams both topping 900 yards and averaging more than 6.5 per carry. Williams also has 30 catches and is tied for second in FBS with 19 total TDS. The Tar Heels are 5-1 ATS in their last six after allowing less than 170 passing yards in the previous game, and WCU had 116 (253 total) last week. Chazz Surratt is the leader on defense, posting a team-high 86 tackles, six sacks and two takeaways.
How to make North Carolina vs. Miami picks
Hunt has analyzed this matchup from all sides and he is leaning under on the total. He also has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing it at SportsLine.
So who wins North Carolina vs. Miami? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Miami vs. UNC you should be all over Saturday, all from the expert who is 12-3 in his last 15 spread picks involving the Tar Heels, and find out.
