Syracuse heads to Kenan Stadium on Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with North Carolina, and the prediction panel is leaning toward a Tar Heels win across the board.
The panel includes Brent Axe, Chris Carlson, Javon Edmonds and Nate Mink, and all four picked North Carolina to take care of business.
Brent Axe called it North Carolina 28, Syracuse 24 and said the Orange can hang around if they create turnovers. He also pointed to the penalty numbers as a major edge for UNC, noting the Tar Heels have committed only 25 penalties, sixth fewest in college football, while Syracuse has 61. Axe wrote that Syracuse “has to get 2-3 takeaways to give itself a chance,” especially if fourth-string quarterback Danny Lauter is running the offense.
Carlson went with North Carolina 27, Syracuse 14. He focused on Bill Belichick’s impact and on the Tar Heels’ defense, highlighting former Syracuse linebacker Derek McDonald, who is a captain and leads the ACC with 56 tackles.
Carlson noted that Pro Football Focus says McDonald has just four missed tackles and one of the best tackling grades in the conference. He also pointed to North Carolina’s ability to limit explosive plays as a major reason the Tar Heels are so hard to crack.
Javon Edmonds picked North Carolina 20, Syracuse 14, but still gave Syracuse a chance to stay inside the number. He said Syracuse’s offense “will not be able to score against the Tar Heels,” while also arguing UNC’s own offense can be held down.
Edmonds said Billy Edwards Jr. “holds North Carolina back” and referenced Davien Kerr’s Tuesday night comment that Syracuse can force turnovers if it makes Edwards throw. He added that if Amari Odom were healthy, it would be a Syracuse win, but said the Orange’s remaining quarterbacks “cannot be trusted to protect the ball against Bill Belichick’s unit.”
Mink landed on North Carolina 20, Syracuse 17, and framed the game as a chance for Syracuse to keep its bowl hopes alive. He said a Tar Heels win would not be surprising either, then summed up the viewing experience bluntly: “Will it be an enjoyable watch? Not counting on it.”
The point spread is North Carolina by 7.5 points.
This season’s records: Nate Mink: 5-1 straight up; 3-3 against the spread
Chris Carlson: 5-1 straight up; 2-4 against the spread Javon Edmonds: 4-2 straight up; 4-2 against the spread
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