North Carolina vs Clemson Odds, Pick, Prediction

North Carolina vs Clemson Odds

The aspirations of an ACC Championship are still well within grasp. However, it's not for the team we all assumed would be in the hunt coming into this game as the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Clemson Tigers.

North Carolina heads into this matchup third in the ACC. It will need to win out and have Louisville drop one of its final two games to make the conference title game.

While the Tar Heels have all the motivation, the Tigers have a rare opportunity to play spoiler. Clemson comes into this matchup playing its best ball of the season, having picked up back-to-back wins over Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.

Can it keep the hot streak going and cover the spread against the Tar Heels? Let's dive into the North Carolina vs. Clemson odds and make a pick and prediction for Saturday, Nov. 18.

What's helped the Tar Heels take the leap forward this season is their balanced offensive attack. Defensive units are always aware of Drake Maye and his receiving corps, but the rushing attack deserves respect, too.

North Carolina is 12th in rushing attempts per game with just over 41, but what's more impressive is that it ranks ninth in Rushing Success Rate. Much of that success has to do with the offensive line, as UNC sits 22nd in Offensive Line Yards, and that ranking suggests it will hold its own against the Tigers' front.

We should expect the ground game to be a crucial part of the Tar Heels scheme, as the Clemson secondary has been tremendous.

It will be the most formidable unit that Maye has faced this season, and he will be contained if North Carolina can't get it going early on the ground.

Clemson's offense came to life against Georgia Tech last week. The Tigers come off one of their best offensive performances of the season, as they racked up 465 total yards with 260 of them coming on the ground.

The Tigers will have the opportunity to find more success on the ground in this matchup. North Carolina ranks 88th in Rushing Success Rate Allowed and finds itself outranked in Line Yards, 101-54.

Clemson should give the Tar Heels a hefty dose of Will Shipley in this one, but ultimately, the game will fall on the arm of Cade Klubnik.

The Tigers' biggest issue this season has been red-zone efficiency, so even if they can sustain drives in this matchup, converting them into touchdowns is a big question mark.

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North Carolina vs Clemson

Matchup Analysis

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North Carolina vs Clemson

Betting Pick & Prediction

Both of these teams come into this matchup highly motivated, but with both teams slated to have offensive success in this matchup, it may be wise to lean toward the more consistent unit.

While Clemson broke out offensively last week, it's had more than its fair share of issues, and carrying that success over to this week is a big ask.

In regards to North Carolina, we've seen it become an elite rushing offense that has an NFL-caliber quarterback under center.

Back the Tar Heels to keep this one close.

Pick:

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