BetUS $500 Match Bonus
Sign up for a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more to get a $500 match bonus!

$20 Free Play at Sportsbook.com
Your first bet is free when you open a new account at sportsbook.com!

North Carolina Tar Heels at Miami Hurricanes College Football Odds & Predictions

Written September 25, 2008 by Jimmy Boyd

The North Carolina Tar Heels head to Miami to take on the Hurricanes in an ACC Coastal battle Saturday, September 27 at 12:00 EST. Both teams have a great shot to win the wide open Coastal division in a year when the Virginia Tech Hokies are rebuilding. The betting line for this conference matchup is -7.5 in favor of Miami with the total set at 45. In this preview, Jimmy will take a closer look at each of the two sides, but you can bet who Jimmy is betting by playing his premium selection on the game. He provides a little insight on his pick in his week 5 college football picks preview.

The Miami Hurricanes begin a three-game homestand and ACC play this weekend when they play host to the Tar Heels at Dolphin Stadium. The Hurricanes will bring in some momentum off a strong performance on the road last weekend. They defeated Texas A&M 41-23. The Canes are sitting at 2-1 having opened the season with a rout of Charleston Southern and a loss to rival Florida.

Instant Credit Card Deposits & 100% First Win Bonus!

The Hurricanes would like to get off to a good start in ACC play as they were just 2-6 a season ago. The Canes will also be looking for a little revenge as UNC leads the all-time series with Miami, 6-5, and that takes into account a 33-27 loss at UNC last season.

Running back Graig Cooper was sensational last week, running for a career-best 128 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries. Cooper now has 181 yards and three scores on the ground this season and we should see his confidence continue to grow with performances like he pulled off last week.

Redshirt freshman QB Robert Marve was very efficient in last week’s victory, completing 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was a much needed performance in terms of the youngster gaining confidence as he had thrown for just 69 yards the previous week in his first career start.

The Hurricanes are young at their skill positions, but these talented youngsters have managed to average 32 points per game and 318 total yards per game through the first three contests.

Miami’s speedy defense did a solid job against the Aggies last week as well, allowing only 87 rushing yards. The Canes are giving up just 75 yards per game on the ground this season. Miami also forced a pair of turnovers in the win, something which was a trademark of some of the great Miami teams of the past. Glenn Cook came up big with nine tackles and a huge fumble recovery. Cook leads Miami with 18 tackles and is a name you should here plenty of this week. The Hurricanes no they need to take advantage of this stretch of three straight home games to have themselves well on their way to a bowl game. If you think the Canes can hand UNC its second straight loss and cover the 7.5-point spread in the process, the bet Miami at Sportsbook.com

UNC was going after its first 3-0 start since 1997, but the team was hit in the mouth by Virginia Tech last week, enduring a 20-17 setback. The Heels had previously beaten McNeese State 35-27 and followed that up with a 44-12 rout of Rutgers.

UNC managed only 307 total yards against a tough VA Tech defense, but the real story was the four turnovers that the Heels committed. The Heels came into that game averaging 356.3 yards per game and had only turned the ball over twice through the first two contests.

Greg Little paced the rushing attack with 71 yards on the ground and a score on 18 carries. Little leads the Tar Heels with 179 yards and two scores this season.

QB T.J. Yates was 11 of 18 for 181 yards and a touchdown, but went down injured on a sack and ended up leaving the game. Yates has thrown for 623 yards and six touchdowns on the season, but he will miss up to six weeks with a fractured left ankle.

Redshirt freshman Mike Paulus stepped in for Yates, but whoever the Heels put under center this week will be sure to look in the direction of wideouts Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks. The duo has been sensational. The two have combined for 27 catches, 521 yards, and five touchdowns already this season.

Many felt this would be the best defensive team the Heels had put on the field in close to a decade and the “D” certainly did their best to keep Carolina in the game last week. They held the Hokies to just 268 yards of offense and also recorded two interceptions. They now have seven on the season.

Mark Paschal recorded 12 tackles, an interception, and a sack in the loss. He has 28 tackles on the season and is the heart and soul of the defense. If you think the Tar Heels can bounce back this week, bet North Carolina at +7.5 at Sportsbook.com.