The North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) will play their final game without new head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines when they face the UConn Huskies (8-4) in the 2024 Fenway Bowl on Saturday. North Carolina replaced former coach Mack Brown with Belichick, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins. Interim coach Freddie Kitchens will remain with the program on Belichick's staff, and he has the reins for Saturday's game. UConn is trying to match the school's highest win total since moving to the FBS in 2000 after posting its first winning record since 2010.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET on Saturday at Fenway Park. The Tar Heels are favored by 2.5 points in the latest UNC vs. UConn odds, while the over/under is 53.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any UConn vs. North Carolina picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it went a profitable 43-35 on all top-rated picks this season while also nailing all four first-round College Football Playoff winners. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.
The model has set its sights on UConn vs. UNC. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the UNC vs. UConn game:
- UNC vs. UConn spread: UNC -2.5
- UNC vs. UConn over/under: 53.5 points
- UNC vs. UConn money line: UNC -139, UConn +118
- UNC vs. UConn picks: See picks here
- UNC vs. UConn streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why North Carolina can cover
North Carolina's football program is suddenly a focus of college football after hiring Belichick earlier this month. The Tar Heels only lost three games by more than one possession this season, notching wins over Minnesota, Virginia and Wake Forest. They will be guided by Kitchens on Saturday, while defensive coordinator Geoff Collins remains in that position for this game.
Kitchens said most players who entered the transfer portal have continued to work with the team and he anticipates most of them to play on Saturday. However, running back Omarion Hampton one of the six NFL opt-outs for UNC who will not play in this game. UNC has won the previous three meetings between these teams, and UConn is 0-6 in its last six games against ACC opponents. See which team to pick here.
Why UConn can cover
While the Tar Heels are in complete transition mode right now, the Huskies are coming off an outstanding regular season. They have a chance to match the program's highest win total since moving to the FBS in 2020, so motivation is not going to be an issue for them under head coach Jim Mora Jr. The Huskies are going to be without running back Durell Robinson, who is transferring to Auburn.
Leading rusher Cam Edwards will still be on the field for this game though, and several other players in the portal are expected to play in the bowl game. UConn closed the regular season with four wins in its final five games, with two of those coming on the road. The Huskies have covered the spread in seven of their last 10 Saturday games, while the Tar Heels have only covered twice in their last 11 games. See which team to pick here.
How to make North Carolina vs. UConn picks
The model has simulated UConn vs. North Carolina 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins North Carolina vs. UConn in the 2024 Fenway Bowl, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.