Minnesota Golden Gophers vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, 9/16/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs North Carolina Tar Heels

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Tar Heels (-6)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-0) are on their way to Kenan Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 2023 where they will attempt to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0). North Carolina opens this game as 6-point favorites. The betting total comes in at 49.5.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers head into this matchup 2-0 for this year. In their last game, the Golden Gophers faced the Eastern Michigan Eagles and earned the victory with a final of 25-6. Athan Kaliakmanis connected on 10/15 with 117 yds passing. He had a quarterback rating of 118.9 and walked away from the game with 1 interception. Darius Taylor was the rushing leader for the Golden Gophers with 33 attempts for 193 yards (5.8 yards per carry). The Minnesota Golden Gophers ran the football 56 times and accounted for 296 yards, which came out to an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. In all, they had 71 plays which gave them a total of 413 yards. Minnesota allowed 9 completions on 20 attempts for a total of 71 yards, and a completion rate of 45.0%. When it came to stopping the run, the Golden Gophers gave up 81 yds on 22 tries, which is 3.7 yds per rush allowed.

When it comes to putting points on the board, the Minnesota Golden Gophers hold an average of 19.0 PPG. As a team they maintain an average of 175.5 yards on the ground which is 54th in D-1. The Golden Gophers have earned 664 total yards for the year. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, Minnesota has earned 1 touchdown through the air and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Minnesota has accounted for 48 first downs offensively, and they have been flagged for 5 penalties for 42 yards. They have surrendered the ball 3 times.

The Golden Gophers rank 11th in D-1 concerning their opponents scoring, giving up 8.0 PPG. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.4 yards per run and 131.0 rushing yards per contest for the campaign. For the season, they have conceded 262 rushing yards through 2 outings. In terms of yards via the pass, the Golden Gophers are giving up 185 yards which has them sitting in 3rd in the country. They have conceded 92.5 yards per outing through the air and conceding a completion percentage of 51.3%. Overall, they are giving up 223.5 yards per contest putting them 8th in the country. They have surrendered 1 touchdown via the pass and 0 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Tar Heels come into this matchup with a record of 2-0 this year. The last time they took the field, the Tar Heels got the victory with a final of 40-34 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Drake Maye finished the game with 208 yards on 21/30 passing while his quarterback rating was 128.2. He didn't throw any picks and his average yards per pass attempt was 6.9. Omarion Hampton carried the football 26 times for 234 yards, ending the contest with 9.0 yds per carry for North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished the contest with 527 yds and they ran 75 plays (7.0 yards per play). North Carolina ran the football for 7.1 yds per attempt, finishing the contest with 319 yards on 45 carries. North Carolina conceded 44 rush attempts for 219 yards (5.0 yards per rush). The Tar Heels passing defense allowed a completion percentage of 51.2%, relinquishing 275 yards on 22 out of 43 passing.

Regarding how much they score, the Tar Heels are 43rd in college football holding an average of 35.5 PPG. The North Carolina Tar Heels hold an average of 482.0 yards per game, which ranks them 24th in D-1. The North Carolina offense has totaled 109 penalty yds on 12 infractions, which is 60th in college football in terms of helping out the opposition. They have given away 2 picks while conceding 0 fumbles and they have tallied 48 1st downs. During this campaign to this point, the Tar Heels currently have a total of 477 passing yards along with an average of 238.5 throwing yards per contest, which has them sitting 66th in the nation. They average 243.5 yards per game via the rush and have run for 487 yards for the year.

North Carolina has given up a total of 217 yards via the ground game (108.5 yards/game) and 4 touchdowns rushing this season. They have conceded 2 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 314.0 yards/outing, which has them ranked 121st in D-1. Their defense has totaled 0 fumbles recovered and 1 interception this year. The Tar Heels defense has been on the field for 157 plays, ranking them 117th in D-1. The Tar Heels are allowing 25.5 PPG, which has them 84th in college football. This year, they have relinquished 51 pts.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Tar Heels -6

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