The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-5) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) will get together in the Quick Lane Bowl on Friday. The game will begin Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
In its last game, North Carolina was blown out by NC State 35-7. Johnathan Howard had a solid outing in the loss, recording four receptions for 79 yards. Rutgers is hoping for a similar result to their game before the bye when they picked up a close victory against Maryland 41-38 in their matchup. Gary Nova had a big game through the air for the Scarlet Knights, completing 28 of 42 pass attempts for 347 yards and four TDs. Andre Patton also had a big game with 101 yards and two TDs on eight catches.
North Carolina is a slight three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 65 points. Heading into Week 18 of the college football season, the Tar Heels are 6-6 Straight Up (SU) and 5-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Tar Heels have records of 3-2 both SU and ATS. Chances are North Carolina will keep the ball in the air. They have America’s 24th-ranked passing attack, averaging 279.7 yards per game. Recently, the Tar Heels may have discovered the secret to a better defense; they’ve only been allowing 32 PPG over their last five matchups, well under their season average of 38.9. In those five games, the Tar Heels pass defense was a no fly zone, only allowing an average of 205.8 passing YPG to opponents. One of the keys to the game will be if the Scarlet Knights can protect the ball against North Carolina’s aggressive defense. The Tar Heels are ranked 24th in fumbles recovered with one per home game. The Tar Heels make it hard on their opponents in the third quarter. North Carolina averages 9.2 points during that period, one of the best in the country.
On the other side, the Scarlet Knights have 7-5 SU and ATS records this season. The Scarlet Knights went 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS over the last five games. If North Carolina’s earlier games are any indication, the Scarlet Knights should pound the rock on offense. The Tar Heels allow 260.8 rushing yards per home game, 122nd in Division I. Lately, the Scarlet Knights have discovered the secret to a better pass defense. They’re allowing only 180.4 passing YPG over their last five matchups. Don’t be surprised to hear lots of calls against the Tar Heels when they take the field. North Carolina is among the most penalized teams in the country, receiving an average of 7.7 penalties per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – UNC, ATS Winner – UNC, O/U – Over
Notes
Rutgers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
North Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rutgers’s last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina’s last 5 games.
Rutgers is 5-1 SU when leading at the half this season. North Carolina is 3-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Rutgers is 5-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. North Carolina is 3-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Nationally, the North Carolina passing attack is ranked 24th, while the Rutgers pass defense is only ranked 68th. The Scarlet Knights passing game is ranked 62nd, compared to the 108th-ranked pass defense of the Tar Heels.
The North Carolina rushing attack is ranked 92nd in the country, while the Rutgers run defense is only ranked 107th. The Scarlet Knights rushing game is ranked 89th, compared to the 117th-ranked run defense of the Tar Heels.
