Oregon vs. North Carolina: Odds, expert picks for Holiday Bowl
Bo Nix and Drake Maye are two elite college quarterbacks and are expected to face off in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday. Oregon takes on North Carolina as a significant favorite in the game.
Nix was a Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering an ankle injury that hindered him and the Ducks late in the season. He played through it, but his play dipped. Nix said he will return to Oregon in 2023 for his final year of eligibility.
Maye is one of the top prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. The North Carolina sophomore surpassed 4,000 yards passing and is third in the country in that stat. Nix is 16th. This matchup is about more than the quarterbacks, but it is hard to look past that duo.
One matchup that could have seen the players go into direct competition is Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez and UNC wide receiver Josh Downs. Both are potential first-round prospects with Gonzalez possibly going in the top 10 and having opted out of the game. Downs had 11 touchdowns catches and 1,029 yards on the season.
How will Maye and the Tar Heel offense adjust without its top receiving threat? Will Nix be back to his scrambling ways?
Both teams entered November with a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but struggled down the stretch. UNC lost its last three games, including a shocking upset loss at home to Georgia Tech. Oregon lost two of its last three games against rivals Washington and Oregon State. The winner of this bowl game will reach 10 wins.
Both teams also lost their offensive coordinators. Phil Longo left North Carolina for Wisconsin to join Luke Fickell’s newly built staff in Madison. Oregon named Will Stein new offensive coordinator after Kenny Dillingham left to become Arizona State’s head coach.
What is the spread for Oregon vs. North Carolina?
How to watch and stream Oregon vs. North Carolina
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET Wednesday from Petco Park in San Diego. The game will be broadcast on Fox. You can also stream the game on the Fox Sports app with authentication.
Expert picks
Picks are made straight up and not against the spread.
