North Carolina Tar Heels vs Temple Owls Pick, Odds, Military Bowl Prediction 12/27/2019

Game: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Temple Owls

Date: Friday, December 27, 2019

Military Bowl

Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Temple +6.5

Total/Over-Under: 53.5

Sam Howell and the North Carolina Tar Heels go to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Friday, December 27, 2019 where they'll take on the Temple Owls in the Military Bowl. North Carolina opens this matchup as 6.5-point favorites. The Tar Heels are 7-5-0 ATS and 6-6-0 when betting on the total. The Owls are 6-6-0 when wagering on the over/under and 8-4-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the North Carolina Tar Heels went up against the NC State Wolfpack and won 41-10. Leading the way at QB for the Tar Heels was Sam Howell who went 23/33 with 401 yards passing and tossed 3 TD's. He tossed 1 pick in the game. Michael Carter led the team on the ground during the game. He tore off a long run of 38 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for a total of 97 yards by way of 16 carries which gave him an average of 6.1 yards per run. Dyami Brown led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 150 yards on 6 receptions. He earned an average of 25.0 yards per catch during the game. The Tar Heels ended up running the ball 41 times and totaled 180 yards which had them averaging 4.4 yards per rushing attempt. For the game, the Tar Heels racked up a total of 27 first downs and they had 10 penalties for 90 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. For the game, they ran 76 plays which gave them a total of 620 yards. In terms of defense, North Carolina allowed 13 completions on 30 attempts totaling 157 yards, and a completion percentage of 43.3%. On the day, they conceded 289 yards and earned 4 turnovers. Against the run, the Tar Heels allowed 132 yards on 26 attempts which is an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Tar Heels step onto the field holding a record of 6-6 for the 2019 season. For total yardage, they currently sit at 3rd in the conference and 21st in the country with 5,628 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 31.3 points per contest, putting them 49th in the country. As a team, they are averaging 184 yards on the ground per game which is 4th in the ACC. The Tar Heels have one of the average defenses in the nation, allowing 24.6 points per contest ranking them 5th in the conference. When talking about yards rushing, North Carolina is giving up 149 yards per contest ranking them 7th in the conference and 58th in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.1 yards per carry which has them at 8th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 57th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,788 yards rushing through 12 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Tar Heels have allowed 3,420 yards. Opponents are completing 60.4% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.2 yards per attempt.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last outing, the Temple Owls went up against the Connecticut Huskies and notched a win by a score of 49-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Owls was Anthony Russo who went 14/23 with 247 yards through the air and threw 2 TD's. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Re'Mahn Davis led the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 55 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown for the game. He racked up a total of 105 yards on 17 carries which meant he averaged 6.2 yards per tote. Branden Mack was the receiving yardage leader by earning 171 yards on 5 catches. He averaged 34.2 yards per catch for the game. The Owls ended up rushing 33 times and earned 262 yards which earned them an average of 7.9 yards per attempt. Overall, the Owls racked up 20 first downs and they had 1 infraction for 5 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. In the game, they ran 62 plays which gave them a total of 574 yards. When discussing the defense, Temple gave up 24 completions on 36 throws totaling 250 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.7%. On the ground, the Owls gave up 76 yards on 31 carries which gave them an average of 2.5 yards per run allowed. In the game, they conceded a total of 326 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

Related: Get college football picks & tips on all of today's games

The Owls step onto the field holding a record of 8-4. Temple needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 142.8 rushing yards per contest, putting them 93rd in college football. As a unit, they have a total of 1,714 yards rushing through 12 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Owls average 402.6 yards per game overall putting them 69th in D-1 and 8th in the conference. The Owls are allowing 23.5 points per game which puts them at 3rd in the American Athletic Conference and 42nd in Division 1. In discussing points given up, they have given up 282 total points. When it comes to yards rushing, they are giving up 152.5 yards per contest which puts them at 63rd in the country and 4th in the American Athletic Conference. For the 2019 season, they have conceded a total of 1,830 rushing yards and 16.8 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in Division 1. They are conceding 212.5 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Owls sit in 5th in the American Athletic Conference.

Who will win tonight's Tar Heels/Owls college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Owls +6.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here