The North Carolina Tar Heels pushed Georgia to the brink in its season opener but fell short. They will hit the road in Week 2 of the regular season where they hope to rebound against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Even though Illinois had a dominant win in its opener and gets this one at home, the Tar Heels are a double-digit favorite to win. North Carolina hopes to live up to that billing and remain in the national rankings.
Watch this regular season Week 2 matchup live on Saturday, September 11, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
North Carolina -10
Illinois +10
Over/Under 61
Odds Analysis
North Carolina is a heavy road favorite and also getting the majority of bets. The Tar Heels played well despite their loss last week and have some talented players on both sides of the ball. Eighty percent of the wagers are taking them to cover.
The “over” is the more popular choice thus far as bettors foresee the teams putting up a quality amount of points in this one.
Key Stat
19. That’s the number of unanswered points the Tar Heels allowed to Georgia after looking like they were primed to pull the upset in the opener. North Carolina went ahead 24-14 on a 21-yard run by T.J. Logan with 6:34 left in the third quarter before watching it slip away.
The Tar Heels’ defense couldn’t hold up as talented Georgia running back Nick Chubb sealed the game with a 55-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Chubb finished the game with 222 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The run-stuffing issues may be a bit overblown since Chubb is a star and Illinois doesn’t figure to have anyone capable of dominating that much. If North Carolina can get ahead in this one, Illinois doesn’t have the same type of firepower to come back.
Coaching Angle
The Fighting Illini are now under the direction of new coach Lovie Smith, who is the former NFL coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears. The initial returns were good in his first game, as Illinois rolled past Murray State 52-3.
Smith is a smart defensive mind and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can have in his first year taking control of the program. Illinois accumulated six sacks in the opener and grabbed a pair of interceptions, although the competition was inferior.
Free ATS Pick
Illinois looked really good in its opener. Quarterback Wes Lunt completed 15-of-21 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Kendrick Foster was dynamic, rushing the ball only four times but accumulating 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Fighting Illini will need to play just as well in this one against a better opponent. North Carolina needs to find some semblance of a passing game after quarterback Mitch Trubisky completed 24-of-40 passes for only 156 yards with no touchdowns in the opener.
The Tar Heels grabbed the lead against Georgia in large part due to the rushing of T.J. Logan, who had 80 yards and a touchdown on six carries. However, it’s not realistic to expect those numbers again.
North Carolina has a tough defense and a good running game, but hasn’t done enough to be considered this big of favorites. In fact, with Illinois at home, its fantastic start may be able to continue. Very few double-digit underdogs can win straight-up but look for Illinois to pull off the upset.
College Football Odds: Illinois 27, North Carolina 24
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