North Carolina vs. Minnesota prediction, odds, picks for the college football game of the week 1

The North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0) begin their season on the road against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0). It's time to continue our college football odds series with a North Carolina-Minnesota prediction and pick. We'll also tell you how to watch the game.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: North Carolina-Minnesota Odds

North Carolina: -1.5 (-115)

Money line: -126

Minnesota: +1.5 (-105)

Money line: +105

Over: 51.5 (-110)

Under: 51.5 (-110)

How to watch North Carolina vs. Minnesota

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

TV: FOX

Stream: fuboTV (Click here for a free trial)

Why North Carolina could cover the spread/profit

North Carolina lost Drake Maye in the NFL Draft, but they have some serviceable backups. Their quarterback situation is still undecided, but they have one very good transfer in store. That's Max Johnson. Johnson was a starter at both LSU and Texas A&M. In his career at those two schools, Johnson played in 30 games, throwing for 5,852 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He has great stats for his opener against North Carolina and should be able to lead them to a win. If Johnson can play well, which he is more than capable of, the Tar Heels will win.

Omarion Hampton is returning to the Tar Heels, which is great news for them. Hampton was one of the best running backs in the country in 2023. He ran for over 1,500 yards, scored 15 touchdowns, and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. When Hampton was good, North Carolina was good. The Tar Heels need him to make a good play in this one. The good news is that Minnesota allowed 154.7 rushing yards per game in the 2023 season. They have a new defense, but Hampton should be able to run like crazy against them.

Why Minnesota could cover/win the spread

Minnesota has some new faces this season. The biggest name of all is Max Brosmer. Brosmer is from New Hampshire, but don't let his FCS background discourage you. Brosmer threw 29 touchdowns and ran for five more with New Hampshire in 2023. The best part of his game is his ability to take care of the ball. Brosmer threw just five interceptions in 2023. He has a chance to lead the Golden Gophers to a great season, and it has to start against North Carolina.

Minnesota has two big offensive stars back. Darius Taylor is the first of the two. He was one of the better running backs in the Big Ten in the first half of 2023. In fact, he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina last season. Daniel Jackson is the other. He had 831 receiving yards and caught eight touchdowns in 2023. He will be Brosmer's main target, so expect him to get a lot of attention on Thursday. If Taylor and Jackson have good games, Minnesota will win.

Final prediction and picks for North Carolina – Minnesota

This will be a close game. Both teams have a new quarterback, but both quarterbacks are good players. I like Max Johnson a little more in this game, though. Not only does he have FBS experience, but he also comes from the SEC. He knows what it takes to play and win in a power conference. I'm picking North Carolina to cover the spread on Thursday night.

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Final North Carolina-Minnesota prediction and pick: North Carolina -1.5 (-115)