Orange vs. Tar Heels – College Football, September 12, 2020

The ACC college football season gets underway on September 12^th with a slew of conference games. The first kickoff takes place at Kenan Stadium with the Tar Heels hosting the Orange.

UNC begins the year with lofty goals while Dino Babers and his squad are hoping to bounce back after a dreadful 5-7 campaign.

Starting with a peek at the odds, let’s work our way towards establishing a Syracuse vs. North Carolina pick.

Ranked 18^th in the country, it’s no surprise that the Tar Heels have been installed as nearly a three-touchdown favorite over the Orange. In fact, with money expected to come pouring in on the favorite, it probably won’t be long until the top college football betting sites push this line to 21.

Those looking for an edge, look no further than these two programs marks against the spread in 2019.

Syracuse covered just a third of the time (4-8 ATS). UNC covered more than 61% of the time (8-5 ATS).

Two of the best players in the nation will be on the field in this game. Unfortunately for Syracuse, both guys play for the team in Chapel Hill.

It all starts with rising sophomore quarterback Sam Howell. A legitimate threat to win the Heisman Trophy, Howell flashed his brilliance as a true freshman tossing an FBS-record 38 touchdowns. Most importantly, Sam was at his best during crunch time.

Sam Howell has ice in his veins? pic.twitter.com/svzCIhCysM

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2020

Commanding the other side of the ball for the Tar Heels is standout linebacker Chazz Surratt. The former QB transformed into a ferocious LB for Mack Brown in 2019 racking up 115 tackles and 31 total pressures. Despite his brother deciding to opt-out of Wake Forrest’s season, Chazz has stuck with his commitment to play in 2020.

Switching sidelines and assessing what Coach Babers has at his disposal, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about. Tommy DeVito can’t succeed unless the offensive line dramatically improves, and the lone playmaker from last year’s offense (Trishton Jackson) is now suiting up for the Rams.

The one thing going for the Orange is that senior Andre Cisco is a beast in the back end. The 6’ 210-pound safety is on his way to having a successful career playing football on Sundays.

Playing pitch and catch with the likes of Dynami Brown and Dazz Newsome, look for Sam Howell to come out like gangbusters in the season opener. Even without fans cheering them on at Kenan Stadium, UNC should have no problem shredding Syracuse to pieces.

Keep in mind, the Orange surrendered more than 30 points per game a season ago. The ’Cuse didn’t do anything to get dramatically better on defense while the Tar Heels offense is looking like one of the most dynamic units in the country.

Mack Brown has big plans for the North Carolina football team in 2020, and it starts with laying the smack down against Syracuse on the 12^th.

Do yourself a favor and lock in this Syracuse vs. North Carolina pick sooner rather than later.