Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team is staring at a steep climb Saturday, Oct. 3, with unbeaten Notre Dame coming in as a massive favorite and the Tar Heels sitting in the kind of home underdog spot that says plenty about where both programs stand right now.
UNC enters at 2-1, though there’s a strong case it could be 3-0 if not for an extremely winnable loss to Clemson. The weather played a role in that one, but the result still landed in the loss column, and there’s no way around that.
At the center of the conversation is quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., and Belichick made it clear he’s staying put. The Wisconsin transfer will start against the Fighting Irish, who are 4-0 and ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25.
The betting market has been blunt about the challenge. Notre Dame opened as a 24.5-point favorite at DraftKings, and while the number has moved in UNC’s direction, it still has the Tar Heels as 21-point underdogs at home. That’s a heavy number for any team, let alone one in its own stadium.
The money line reflects the same story, with UNC listed at +1000 and Notre Dame at -1800. The total has also dropped sharply, sliding from 55.5 points to 47.5.
If that 21-point spread holds, the over would still be reachable even if UNC scores 27 points and gets routed by three touchdowns.
There is at least one advantage for the Tar Heels: they’re coming off a bye. That means a full week of rest, and Belichick’s team should be as healthy as it’s going to be for the rest of the season, even if a few players are still dealing with bumps and minor injuries.
Notre Dame’s own résumé hasn’t exactly been sparkling, at least not based on its last three wins. Still, the Irish have done enough to stay undefeated, and UNC is the one walking into this matchup with the pressure of a big number and a big spotlight.
In Other News...
UNC Is Already In An Early Fight For A Massive 5-Star Center
A big man with a growing national market is already drawing plenty of attention, and North Carolina has made sure it is in the mix early. Dylan Betts, a five-star Class of 2028 center and 7-foot-3 prospect at IMG Academy, has taken an unofficial visit to Chapel Hill as part of a recruitment process that is quickly broadening beyond one region or one conference.
UNCs staff has been building a relationship with Betts while schools like Michigan and Illinois have already hosted him, and Alabama is also lined up for a future visit. For the Tar Heels, getting in early matters with a player of that size and ceiling, because the race for elite frontcourt talent tends to move fast once the major programs start pressing their cases. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs New Backcourt Duo Brings More Than Fans Might Expect
North Carolinas newest backcourt pairing arrived with plenty of intrigue during a recent media availability, as transfer guards Angelo Brizzi and Neo Avdalas were introduced to the Tar Heels audience. Brizzi brings a well-traveled resume, but also the kind of reliability UNC needs from a lead guard, having started all 32 games at Buffalo and finished with 14.5 points per game. Avdalas offers a different look entirely, a 6-foot-9 guard whose size and playmaking made him one of the more interesting additions in the ACC last season.
Avdalas started all 31 games at Virginia Tech, averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, and earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors twice, which gives UNC a backcourt blend that is both experienced and unconventional. For a program always balancing immediate expectations with roster fit, the bigger question now is how quickly these two transfers can translate their production into chemistry, spacing and decision-making in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks UNC Start Looks Worse As Passed-Over Options Keep Delivering
Bill Belichicks first season at North Carolina has already become a talking point across college football, and not in the way anyone around Chapel Hill would have wanted. As the Tar Heels try to settle in under one of the sports most famous names, the comparison game has only intensified, with other programs taking shape behind coaches who were in the same broader conversation before Belichick landed at UNC.
Those parallel developments matter because the coaches North Carolina did not hire keep stacking up results elsewhere. Jon Sumrall and Jake Dickert, in particular, have continued to build momentum, while Wake Forests early success under Dickert and quarterback Gio Lopez has only sharpened the optics. Even in games with uneven quarterback play, such as Clemsons outing from Tait Reynolds, the broader trend has been hard to miss for UNC fans watching the wider carousel. [Read more 🡒]