The Miami Hurricanes are off to their best start in almost a decade, winning their first five games and cracking the Top 10. The Canes are also making a little money, going 4-1 ATS.
This week the U takes its show on the road for an ACC bout in Chapel Hill against a disappointing North Carolina team Thursday night (6:30 pm ET, ESPN).
Miami won its conference opener two weeks ago, beating Georgia Tech, then had last week off.
In the early betting the 'Canes, who are 16-3 on ESPN Thursday nights, were favored by eight points over the Heels, whose only victory so far came over Middle Tennessee.
The Hurricanes will try to spoil to the party on Thursday; they are 4-1 ATS against the number this season, while the Tar Heels are 1-4 ATS. Miami is 3-2 on the totals; North Carolina is 1-4.
View Miami Hurricanes vs North Carolina Tar Heels Odds and Stats.
Bettors going with the Tar Heels in this game found them listed as 7.5-point underdogs on the betting line at Sportsbook earlier in the week. The total was opened at 60 by Sportsbook.
It's a betting matchup between the No. 67-rated Tar Heels and the No. 20-ranked Hurricanes, according to the NCAAF Power Rankings here at Odds Shark. Predictive-scoring models run on this game indicate a potential 36-30 result in favor of the Hurricanes.
In their last action, Miami was a 45-30 Sportsbook at home against Georgia Tech. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (75) was profitable news for OVER bettors. The Tar Heels suffered a Week 6 loss against Virginia Tech in their last game, falling 27-17 at Lane Stadium.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits North Carolina's No. 93-ranked offense, averaging 23.6 PPG, against a Hurricanes defense that ranks No. 9 this week at 16 PPG. The Tar Heels aerial game is averaging 292.8 yards per game, more than the Hurricanes secondary allows through the air, 141.4 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Hurricanes own the league's No. 14-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 99 yards per game when on the road. North Carolina, on the other hand, rates No. 110 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
A few Hurricanes at Tar Heels trends to consider:
Miami is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games on the road
North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
North Carolina is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina's last 6 games
North Carolina is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Next up:
Miami at Wake Forest, Saturday, October 26th
North Carolina at Boston College, Saturday, October 26th
