The Miami Hurricanes suffered one of the toughest ways to lose a game last week, as a blocked extra point spelled doom in a 20-19 defeat to Florida State. It was Miami’s first loss of the season, and it will aim to bounce back without any lasting damage in Week 7 against the North Carolina Tar Heels.
North Carolina beat Florida State in that matchup but is still a significant road underdog against the Hurricanes. Both are aiming for the ACC Coastal title but the loser will have their hopes significantly damaged.
This contest in Week 7 of the regular season will go down Saturday, October 15, 2016, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
North Carolina +9
Miami -9
Over/Under 64.5
Odds Analysis
The underdog Tar Heels are taking in the majority of the betting action, as gamblers are sending 66 percent of the money their way to cover.
The scoring total has been deemed too low by the gambling public as a cool 90 percent of the action has chosen the “over.”
Player to Watch
Mitch Trubisky - The North Carolina quarterback will be looking to get back on track this week after being held to just 58 passing yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions last week in the loss to Virginia Tech. It was by far his worst performance of the season.
Trubisky was electric the week before in the win over Florida State, throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns. He is 146-of-208 with 1,769 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season.
Trubisky will really be tested against a stout defense. The Tar Heels want to stay balanced so the Hurricanes have to guess what’s coming at them on each play. Trubisky has done a tremendous job at taking care of the ball and must keep it out of Miami’s hands.
Key Stat
12.8. That’s the number of points that Miami’s defense is allowing per game right now. The Hurricanes rank among the top five teams in the nation for points against.
Miami is also ranked No. 10 in the country for total defense and has been particularly strong against the run, allowing teams just 125.8 rushing yards a game. Impressive, especially considering the Hurricanes start three freshmen linebackers.
In five games, the Hurricanes defense has allowed just seven touchdowns. The team struggled a bit last week against Florida State, however, allowing 407 yards and 20 points in Miami’s first loss of the season.
Free ATS Pick
While last week was a blip after a strong start, the Hurricanes are favored to get back on track. Quarterback Brad Kaaya is one of the better signal-callers in the country and hopes to lead the way.
He has thrown for 1,149 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Kaaya wasn’t great last week against the Seminoles but has the talent to put on a show.
North Carolina’s defense is susceptible as it has allowed 31.5 points per game on the season. The Tar Heels’ biggest weakness defensively is against the run, as they are allowing 228.8 rushing yards per contest.
The Tar Heels have some nice wins this season but haven’t been as good as Miami statistically. Throw in the home field advantage, and it is clear to see why the Hurricanes are the favorites in this matchup.
Between North Carolina’sdefensive struggles and the presence of Kaaya, Miami shouldn’t have too much trouble moving the ball. North Carolina has enough talent to hang around for most of the contest, but the Hurricanes will eventually pull away.
Expect them to cover the spread and push this game “over” the scoring total.
College Football Odds: Miami 38, North Carolina 28
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