App State vs. North Carolina Prediction
Unranked Appalachian State makes the short trip to Chapel Hill to face #17 North Carolina at 5:15 PM ET on Saturday on ACC Network. Can the Tar Heels cover the 19-point spread as home favorites this weekend?
Appalachian State is 1-0 straight up this season and 0-1 against the spread. Their only win came against Gardner-Webb.
North Carolina is 1-0 straight up this season and 1-0 against the spread. Their lone victory came against South Carolina.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
363 Appalachian State Mountaineers (+19) at 364 North Carolina Tar Heels (-19); O/U 58
5:15 PM ET, Saturday, September 9, 2023
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Appalachian State vs. North Carolina Public Betting Information
As of this writing, the public is favoring the Tar Heels in this game. Our CFB Public Betting page shows that 74% of public bets are on North Carolina -19. Note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Appalachian State Mountaineers Game Notes
Appalachian State starting quarterback Ryan Burger exited last week’s game against Gardner-Webb with a finger injury, and he’ll be out for this week’s game and likely the entire month of September. Burger threw for 73 yards and a touchdown before being injured. In his stead, junior QB Joey Aguilar stepped in and played admirably, completing 11 of 13 passes for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns. Aguilar figures to get the start against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill on Saturday evening.
North Carolina Tar Heels Game Notes
North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker was ruled ineligible by the NCAA and will have to sit out this season. This comes as a huge blow to the Tar Heels, as they were operating under the assumption that Walker would be able to play this season after transferring in from Kent State. Walker recorded 58 catches for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Golden Flashes last season, but it looks like he won’t be able to suit up for UNC in 2023.
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North Carolina wide receiver Nate McCollum missed North Carolina’s first game against South Carolina last week with a lower-body injury, but he’s probable to play against Appalachian State on Saturday. McCollum caught 60 passes for 655 yards, and 3 touchdowns for Georgia Tech last season, and he should see an increased role due to the absence of Devontez Walker this year.
Appalachian State vs. North Carolina Betting Trends
North Carolina was 6-7-1 ATS last season.
Appalachian State was 1-0 ATS as an underdog last season.
North Carolina was 2-4 ATS as the home team last season.
The over was 3-2 in Appalachian State’s 5 road games last season.
Appalachian State vs. North Carolina Betting Prediction
These two teams played each other last season, and North Carolina won a high-scoring thriller on the road 63-61. The two teams seemed fairly evenly matched and it came down to the very end of the game. The Tar Heels bring back star QB Drake Maye, but they lost offensive coordinator Phil Longo to Wisconsin. Appalachian State might not be as good this year as they were last year, but the difference isn’t exactly stark between the Mountaineers’ 2022 and 2023 squads.
North Carolina will likely put up points in this game, the only question is, can they get enough stops to win in blowout fashion? The Tar Heels’ defense ranked 100th in the country in opponent points per play last season and they ranked 114th in opponent yards per play. Appalachian State will be trotting out a backup quarterback in Joey Aguilar, but he played well last weekend (96.3 QBR) and threw for 1,446 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in 6 junior college games last season. He’ll be ready to go and he should help the Mountaineers at least keep this one within three scores.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 2 PREDICTION: APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS +19