North Carolina vs. Virginia Prediction
No. 15 North Carolina got back on track last week with its win over NC State following a road loss to Florida State the previous week. The Tar Heels are back on the road in Week 9 where they’ll visit 1-4 Virginia at 8:00 p.m. ET. Are the Heels a safe play as road chalk tonight?
Game Snapshot
113 North Carolina Tar Heels (-7.5) at 114 Virginia Cavaliers (+7.5); o/u 61.5
David A. Harrison III Field, Charlottesville, VA
8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 31, 2020
TV: ACC Network
North Carolina Tar Heels Game Notes
North Carolina sophomore QB Sam Howell completed 18-of-29 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for another score in Saturday’s 48-21 win over NC State. Howell (6’1/225) didn’t produce a prolific stat line by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn’t need to as the Tar Heels dominated their bitter rivals on the ground for much of the afternoon. The sophomore quarterback did not turn the football over against NC State, leading the way for a unit that racked up 578 yards of offense. For the season Howell now boasts ten touchdown passes and four interceptions on the season, and his second quarter rushing touchdown was his first of the season. Next up for the sophomore signal-caller is a matchup with Virginia Halloween night in Charlottesville.
Virginia Cavaliers Game Notes
Virginia redshirt sophomore QB Brennan Armstrong completed 16-of-30 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 91 yards in Saturday’s 19-14 loss to Miami. Armstrong was as efficient on the ground as he was through the air. While that meant he was fantastic in extending drives with his legs, it also meant Armstrong left much to be desired as a passer. In fairness to Armstrong, he was battling through concussion recovery this week and was not even a certainty to start in this game. Either way, Virginia fall to 1-4, with their lone win over Duke in the opener. UNC is up next on the schedule for the Cavaliers.
North Carolina vs. Virginia Betting Prediction
The Tar Heels are 4-1 against the spread in their last five trips to Virginia while the road team has cashed in five of the last six meetings between these two teams and the favorite is a perfect 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. North Carolina has also covered the number in six of its last eight games overall, is 7-2 against the spread in its last nine games as a favorite and is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games after scoring more than 40 points in its previous game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 BETTING PREDICTION: NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS -7.5