Before ushering in the Bill Belichick era, the North Carolina Tar Heels will look to finish their 2024 season on a high note when they battle the UConn Huskies in the 2024 Fenway Bowl on Saturday. UNC is looking for its first bowl win since 2019, while UConn last won a bowl matchup in 2010. The Huskies (8-4), who played an independent schedule this season, last played in a bowl game in 2022, losing to Marshall 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Tar Heels (6-6), who tied for 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 3-5, are 15-23 all-time in bowl games, including a 30-10 loss to West Virginia in last year's Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Tar Heels will be without top running back Omarion Hampton and approximately a dozen other teammates due to injury, the transfer portal or NFL opt-outs, while UConn will be missing at least seven players, including six in the transfer portal.
Kickoff from Fenway Park in Boston is set for 11 a.m. ET. The Tar Heels are 2.5-point favorites in the latest North Carolina vs. UConn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 53.5. Before you make any UConn vs. UNC bets or predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine college football expert Mike Tierney has to say.
A veteran sportswriter and handicapper whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney is 45-27 in his last 72 college football spread betting picks, returning $1,506 to $100 players.
In addition, he is an amazing 12-1 on his last 13 picks in games involving North Carolina, returning a whopping $1,090. Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks or betting apps is way up.
Now, Tierney has set his sights on UConn vs. North Carolina. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several college football betting lines and trends for UNC vs. UConn:
- UConn vs. North Carolina spread: North Carolina -2.5
- UConn vs. North Carolina over/under: 53.5 points
- UConn vs. North Carolina money line: North Carolina -139, UConn +118
- UCON: The Huskies have covered the spread in seven of their last 11 games (+3.70 units)
- UNC: The Tar Heels have hit the Under in eight of their last 13 games (+2.50 units)
- UConn vs. North Carolina picks: See picks at SportsLine
- UConn vs. North Carolina streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back North Carolina
Senior quarterback Jacolby Criswell leads the Tar Heel offense. In 11 games, he has completed 185 of 319 passes (58%) for 2,452 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions and a rating of 134.3. He has also rushed for three scores. In a 70-50 loss to James Madison on Sept. 21, he completed 28 of 48 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.
Among his top targets is senior wide receiver J.J. Jones. He has caught 34 passes for 570 yards (16.8 average) and six touchdowns. In a 41-14 win at Virginia on Oct. 26, he caught five passes for 129 yards (25.8 average) and two touchdowns. He caught five passes for 89 yards (17.8 average) and one touchdown in a 21-20 loss at Duke on Sept. 28. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back UConn
Powering the offense is senior quarterback Joe Fagnano. For the season, he has completed 104 of 183 passes (56.8%) for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns with four interceptions and a 152.8 rating.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Skyler Bell is among the Huskies' top offensive weapons. In 12 games, he caught 47 passes for 783 yards (16.7 average) and four touchdowns. In a 47-3 win over Buffalo on Sept. 28, he caught six passes for 153 yards (25.5 average) and three touchdowns. In a 31-24 loss at Syracuse, he caught 10 passes for 113 yards, including a long of 30. See which team to pick here.
How to make North Carolina vs. UConn picks
For Friday's Fenway Bowl, Tierney is leaning over the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins UConn vs. North Carolina, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the expert who is 12-1 on picks involving North Carolina, and find out.