UNC vs. Minnesota odds: Early point spread released on Tar Heels, Golden Gophers

The stage is set for the season opener for both the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They’ll battle on the gridiron on Thursday night. UNC steamrolled Minnesota last year to the tune of a 31-13 win, but the Golden Gophers will hope they can reverse their fortunes in the 2024 version.

Vegas seems like Minnesota and their chances to get revenge on Thursday evening. The Golden Gophers are currently 1.5 favorites to win, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is currently set at 50.5 total points. Here’s some more details on what you need to know heading into the game.

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How to watch UNC vs. Minnesota

Time: 8:00 PM EST

Channel: FOX, FuboTV (streaming)

Location: Huntington Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minnesota features one of the deepest backfields in the Big Ten. They’ve got a number of talented running backs that will be difficult for the UNC defense to stop: Darius Taylor, Jordan Nubin, Sieh Bangura, and Marcus Major.

In addition, the Golden Gophers return four starting offensive linemen from the 2023 campaign. Last season, the unit earned a Top 40 run blocking grade (68.0) from Pro Football Focus. The star of the offensive line is Aireontae Ersery, who’s expected to be one of the top offensive linemen selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 6-6, 330-pounder enters his third season as a starter at the tackle position and he earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

Darius Taylor racked up over 800 all-purpose yards last season as a true freshman for Minnesota. Jordan Nubin had 559 rushing yards and three touchdowns for Minnesota in 2023. Sieh Bangura has been one of the best running backs in the Mid-American Conference the past two seasons for the Ohio Bobcats. In 2022, he racked up over 1,200 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2023, he had over 900 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns.

Tailback Omarion Hampton figures to be the most important piece of the UNC offensive attack. He rushed for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, firmly cementing his status as one of the nation’s best running backs. As a receiver, he also hauled in 29 catches for 222 yards and one touchdown.

Hampton is joined on the offensive side of the ball by tight end Bryson Nesbit. He’s hauled in over 500 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons the past years and figures to be an important weapon for quarterbacks Max Johnson and Conner Harrell. UNC head coach Mack Brown has indicated he wants to play both quarterbacks for the season. We’ll see how that plays out.

It should be an exciting Week 1 matchup for both teams.