Week five college football action will begin with an interesting Thursday night appetizer from the Atlantic Coast Conference when the Miami Hurricanes host the North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina had lost their first two games and then had a cancellation due to a recent hurricane. Head coach Larry Fedora, who was celebrated as a program savior just a couple of years ago, landed on one of the hottest seats in the country. But a thrilling win over Pitt last week may have the Tar Heels back on track. Proof certain comes this week at Miami against a Hurricanes team that has won three in a row after stumbling in their opener.
This contest in Week 5 will go down Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The game can be seen on ESPN.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
North Carolina +18.5
Miami -18.5
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
This line is based on the public thinking that the Miami Hurricanes are a national power, which is still open for debate with many experts and college football insiders. Further the public is down on North Carolina after their terrible season last year and slow start to 2018. Be sure to be locked and loaded for live betting as well as half time wagering at Bookmaker as this game should offer plenty of opportunity for great action!
Off the Mat?
North Carolina scored a 38-35 win and cover over Pitt as three-point home dogs. It was the first positive news for the Tar Heels in a long time. Best of all North Carolina outgained the Panthers 486-402 as quarterback Nathan Elliott passed for 313 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Antonio Williams added 114 yards and two touchdowns rushing. At least for now Larry Fedora has a bit cooler seat.
Recent Form
North Carolina is 1-2 straight up and 1-1-1 against the spread with two of their three games going over the total. Carolina has undeniably weak metrics in which they rank 82nd nationally for overall offense and 101st for scoring offense. Defensively the Tar Heels rank 87th overall nationally and 105th for points allowed. A major problem for the team has been a rash of suspensions in which a multitude of players have missed time due to selling their team issued Jordans. It was just another of many embarrassments for a university that was offering fake classes and caught red handed doing it.
Miami is 3-1 straight up and 2-2 against the spread with three of their four games going over the total. The Hurricanes are coming off a 31-17 home win over Florida International in which they were 26.5-point overlays. Offensively Miami ranks 46th in the nation overall and 18th for points scored. Defensively they have been strong and rank second overall in the country.
Larry the Cable Guy?
Larrry Fedora was ripped for his comments this past summer in which he said that that the game of football was under attack from people trying to destroy it. His comments were in response to all of the targeting rules and player safety issues that have come up in recent years. When you are winning such comments are endearing but when you are losing they come off as out of touch, at best. This is why the rest of the North Carolina season is so critical to Fedora. He may be on cable TV as a guest analyst if the Tar Heels don’t bowl.
Players to Watch
Miami is led by wide receiver Jeff Thomas, the favorite target of recent new number one quarterback N’Kosi Perry. Thomas has 12 receptions good for a whopping 26.3 yards per catch and two touchdowns. Perry has a 67% completion rate good for six touchdowns and two interceptions. Miami running backs Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas and Lorenzo Lingard are all over five yards per carry.
Free ATS Pick
North Carolina’s defense is hopeless and prevents them getting a call. Perry has given Miami another strong element on offense. Coach Mark Richt’s Miami team is diversified with many weapons to go with that excellent Manny Diaz coordinated defense.
College Football Odds: Miami Hurricanes 41, North Carolina Tar Heels 17
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
