Military Bowl Prediction
Will North Carolina be able to cover a touchdown-sized spread when the Tar Heels collide with Temple in today’s Military Bowl at Noon ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
227 North Carolina vs. 228 Temple
Friday, December 27, 2019
Noon ET – Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Field
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, North Carolina is the favorite in this game, as the Tar Heels are getting odds of -6 points against Temple. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 53.5 points. The public betting currently has 60 percent going on North Carolina as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Temple with some momentum
Temple won three of its last four games coming into the bowl. The lone loss was by two points at Cincinnati. The Owls come into this game 8-4 on the season, 8-4 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total.
The Owls are led by their defense, allowing just 23.5 points and 364.8 yards per game. Quincy Roche is leading the unit with 44 tackles and 13 sacks. Offensively, Temple is putting up 27.4 points and 402 yards per contest. Anthony Russo is leading the team with 2,733 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. Re’Mahn Davis is the top rusher with 900 yards and seven scores, while Jadan Blue is the top receiver with 87 catches for 975 yards and four touchdowns.
UNC surges to get a bowl
North Carolina won its final two games of the regular season, winning both by over 30 points. The Tar Heels come into Friday’s bowl game 6-6 on the season, 7-5 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total.
UNC is strong on offense, averaging 31.3 points and 469 yards per game this season. Defensively, UNC is giving up 24.6 points and 381.6 yards per contest. Sam Howell is leading North Carolina this season. He has thrown for 3,347 yards and 35 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Michael Carter is the leading rusher with 919 yards and three scores while Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome each have 947 receiving yards and have combined for 19 touchdowns catches. Defensively, Chazz Surratt is leading the defense with 110 tackles and six sacks.
College Football Betting Trends
Temple
The Owls are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven non-conference games and 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games on fieldturf.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as a favorite, but just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven against a winning team.
Prediction:
Temple is a team that tends to like to win with defense and let its physicality on that side of the ball dictate games. However, we have seen what happens when Temple can’t rely on its defense. The Owls lost 45-21 at SMU and 63-21 against UCF. North Carolina’s offense isn’t quite up to that caliber, but the Tar Heels were definitely playing their best football at the end of the season and I think that offensive success is going to continue in this game. That is going to make it hard for Temple to compete, as I just don’t see the Owls having the offense to stick with UNC.
Military Bowl Prediction: North Carolina -6
Related: Military Bowl Total Prediction