The North Carolina Tar Heels kick off their opener in the college football season against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, August 29 at 8:00 PM ET at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Tar Heels are slight favorites with a point spread of -1.0 (-110).
The Tar Heels finished their 2023 season with an 8-5 record and went 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Max Johnson is an outstanding veteran player (transfer from LSU, Texas A&M) and will get the opportunity he has been dreaming of as a quarterback. On top of that, Omarion Hampton will free up opportunities for him since he is arguably one of the best running backs in the nation.
The Tar Heels won most of their games when they held onto the ball longer than their opponents. They will aim to make a statement with their first game of the season with a newer offensive lineup.
However, they must improve on their defense from a year ago. They must find a way to afford to let the Golden Gophers gain confidence in front of their home crowd.
The Golden Gophers went 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big 10 West last season. They were just a hair above .500 at home, which does not paint a great picture for this matchup despite being at home to start their season.
Their defense will need to have made some adjustments from the prior season. They were winless in seven games whenever they allowed over 24 points, which could likely happen here against an aggressive Tar Heel offense.
Offensively, they were not a threat last year, but they have a different quarterback and receivers to work with. The beauty is that they will be aggressive on offense, just like the Tar Heels, so expect a back-and-forth.
For the Golden Gophers to win, they must have possession of the ball more often and attempt to execute on offense. They also need strong defense like they did last year.
MyBookie showcases appealing college football betting odds for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers battle. Currently, the Tar Heels are favored to find success on the road.
According to market analysis, the Tar Heels have a 54.5 percent chance of winning their opening game. The biggest difference in this game will be the tempo, as the Tar Heels have an edge on offense and keep their foot on the gas.
