Six-time Super Bowl champions coach Bill Belichick makes his North Carolina debut when the Tar Heels take on the TCU Horned Frogs in college football’s final game of Week 1 on Monday night. Belichick compiled a 302-165 coaching record in the NFL, including a 266-121 mark with the New England Patriots. The Horned Frogs (9-4 in 2024), who tied for fifth in the Big 12 at 6-3, were 4-2 on the road last season. The Tar Heels (6-7 in 2024), who tied for 10th in the ACC, were 3-4 on their home field.
Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina leads the all-time series 3-0, but this is the first meeting since 1997. The Horned Frogs are 3.5-point favorites in the latest TCU vs. North Carolina odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5, down three points from the opening UNC-TCU line. Before making any North Carolina vs. TCU picks, be sure to see what SportsLine expert Mike Tierney has to say.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney had a tremendous 2024 college football season in which he finished 62-41 (plus $1,649 for $100 players). He is also 12-2 (+980) in his last 14 picks involving North Carolina. Anyone following could’ve seen huge returns.
Now, Tierney has set his sights on TCU vs. UNC and just locked in his picks and college football predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college football odds and college football betting lines for UNC vs. TCU:
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TCU vs. North Carolina spread |
TCU -3.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook |
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TCU vs. North Carolina over/under |
55.5 points |
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TCU vs. North Carolina money line |
TCU -173, UNC +144 |
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TCU vs. North Carolina picks |
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TCU vs. North Carolina streaming |
Fubo (Try for free) |
Why TCU can win
Junior Josh Hoover returns as the Horned Frogs’ starting quarterback and he’s a longshot Heisman candidate at +6500 this season. In 13 games last season, Hoover completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. He also rushed for four scores. In a 35-34 loss to Central Florida on Sept. 14, he completed 35 of 52 passes for 402 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 252 yards and four scores with one pick in a 34-3 New Mexico Bowl win over Louisiana on Dec. 28.
Senior Eric McAlister is in his second year at TCU. Last season, he was among the Horned Frogs’ top receivers with 39 receptions for 762 yards (19.5 average) and five touchdowns. In the New Mexico Bowl win, he caught eight passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. He had four catches for 100 yards and one score in a 38-27 win over Kansas on Sept. 28. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why North Carolina can win
Former South Alabama starting quarterback Gio Lopez is expected to get the start for the Tar Heels. In two seasons at South Alabama, Lopez threw for more than 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions. The dual threat completed 206 of 312 passes (66%) for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions and a 150.8 rating last season. He also carried 83 times for 465 yards and seven touchdowns.
Among the top Tar Heels wide receivers set to return is senior Kobe Paysour. He finished 2024 with 21 receptions for 365 yards (17.4 average), including a long of 36. In a 70-50 loss to James Madison on Sept. 21, he caught a season-high four passes for 93 yards. He had three catches for 34 yards in a 21-20 loss at Duke on Sept. 28. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:
How to make TCU vs. North Carolina picks
Tierney has analyzed North Carolina vs. TCU from every angle and is leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins North Carolina vs. TCU, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?. You can head to SportsLine to see his TCU vs. North Carolina picks. Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the expert who is 12-2 on his last 14 picks involving the Tar Heels, and find out.
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