Orange Bowl 2021: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Texas A&M vs. UNC

The 2021 Orange Bowl lost some of its luster between the matchup announcement and the time the two participants arrived in south Florida. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels will face the Texas A&M Aggies without a slew of their top offensive stars due to opt-outs. 

Mack Brown's squad will be without both of its top running backs and wide receiver, which makes quarterback Sam Howell a less intriguing daily fantasy prospect. 

Conversely, Texas A&M did not have any players opt out before Saturday's game at Hard Rock Stadium, and that gives it a clear advantage on the odds lines and with the top fantasy options.

Orange Bowl Info

Date: Saturday, January 2

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN 

Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app

Odds

Spread: Texas A&M (-7.5)

Over/Under: 65.5

Money Line: Texas A&M (-278; bet $278 to win $100); North Carolina (+220; bet $100 to win $220)

Daily Fantasy Tips

Build Around Kellen Mond

Kellen Mond does not have the flashiest numbers for an SEC quarterback, but he has been a reliable leader in the pocket for the Aggies. 

Mond recorded 2,050 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions as Texas A&M pushed for a College Football Playoff berth. 

The senior should be a much better daily fantasy option than Howell, who will be without three of his best offensive targets. Running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams and wide receiver Dyami Brown opted out of the contest. 

In the first New Year's Six bowl, the Florida Gators were severely affected by absences in their passing game and were blown out by the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl.

With that in mind, it makes sense to put trust in Mond to have more success than Howell and then build around him with the best skill position players from both rosters. 

If you go with a Texas A&M stack, consider tight end Jalen Wydermyer as a complement to Mond. Wydermyer is the Aggies' leading receiver and has three two-touchdown performances in the last five games. 

Dazz Newsome Is UNC's Best Option

With Carter, Williams and Brown out, the Tar Heels will rely on Dazz Newsome to make more big plays than usual.

Newsome averaged 12.8 yards per catch and was second to Brown in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns. 

The senior wideout should be Howell's top target, and he has a history of performing well in the postseason.

In the 2019 Military Bowl, Newsome caught eight passes for 71 yards and found the end zone on two occasions. 

Texas A&M conceded 437.2 yards per game in SEC play, with 234.3 yards allowed through the air. If UNC has an any chance of remaining competitive despite being short-handed, Newsome will have to find holes in the A&M secondary. 

You could pair him with Howell in a lineup stack. That could be a high-reward move if most lineups in your contest are led by Mond. 

If you want to keep Mond as the lineup anchor, Newsome could be a solid complement to the quarterback and a few of his Texas A&M teammates.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

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