North Carolina Tar Heels – College Football Betting

Returning maybe the best defense in the game, the North Carolina Tar Heels enter 2010 as one of the favorites in the college football betting odds.

But after an off-season of turmoil and questions at the quarterback position, can North Carolina make a serious run at the monster season so many expect?

Let’s analyze them, to see whether the Tar Heels will go over or under their projected win total of eight regular season wins.

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North Carolina Tar Heels- Over 8 Regular Season Wins (+105) or Under 8 Regular Season Wins (-135):

With most teams in the college football betting odds, you’ve got to start with who’ll be the key contributors on offense. But at North Carolina, everything starts and begins with arguably the nation’s best all-around defense.

This is a unit that returns nine starters off a team that ranked sixth in the nation in total defense (267.8 yards/game), ninth in run defense (92.8 yards/game) and 13th in scoring defense (16.9 points/game). They held five teams under 14 points in 2009.

There is depth and skill everywhere, with as many as five players who turned down NFL riches to return to Chapel Hill.

Seniors Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant lead this team from the linebacker positions, with each expected to be a future NFL superstar.

Robert Quinn is the star along the defensive line, having led North Carolina with 11 sacks last year. And as hard as it is to believe, the defensive backfield might be the best unit on the team, as both Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney were All-ACC performers last year, with Williams tied for 11th in the country with six interceptions.

But as much talent as there is on this defense, there is still one major unanswered question with the unit. That is whether or not four year starter Marvin Austin will be eligible to play at defensive tackle.

Austin returned to North Carolina with All-American aspirations, but is now under investigation by the NCAA as to whether he accepted improper benefits in the offseason.

In addition to Austin, the biggest question for North Carolina comes with their passing game, which ranked just 102nd in the country, averaging just 174 yards through the air. T.J. Yates returns under center after a lackluster 2009 season that saw him throw just 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

There’s a reasonable chance that redshirt freshman Bryn Renner will end up starting part way through the season.

The rest of the offense should be solid, if unspectacular. Four starters return on the offensive line, which should give Yates plenty of time in the pocket, as well as bolster the running game.

Shaun Draughn rushed for 567 yards last year, despite missing three games with injury.

Even with the talent on this team, the schedule makers did them no favors.

The Tar Heels open with a very, very tough game against LSU in Atlanta on September 2, and just two weeks later host Georgia Tech, before going to Rutgers a week later.

There might not be a team in college football with a tougher first three weeks than North Carolina. Later in the season, the Tar Heels get Clemson and Virginia Tech at home, but must travel to Florida State and Miami.

For all intents and purposes, this is a make or break year for Butch Davis at North Carolina. He may never have a defense this good the rest of his career.

However, when evaluating the college football betting, the quarterback play and schedule are just too tough to see this team getting more than eight wins. Therefore, take the UNDER here.

North Carolina will a good team, and one that gives opposing offensive coordinators fits in the weeks leading up to their game. But they’re just not good enough to top eight wins.

The Pick: North Carolina UNDER 8 Regular Season Wins (-135)

All the NCAA odds for the upcoming season are available at the Sportsbook, click here!