College Football Odds Week 3: Minnesota vs UNC Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

College football odds for Week 3 are on the board and receiving plenty of attention as we tackle all the major storylines of the weekend. The Minnesota Golden Gophers and North Carolina Tar Heels meet at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill on Saturday, September 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Here's everything you need to know about the college football odds for the Week 3 game between Minnesota vs North Carolina: the opening lines, spreads, betting trends and more. Check back regularly for updates.

Minnesota vs. North Carolina Odds

• Opening point spread: North Carolina -6.5
• Opening moneyline: North Carolina -275/Minnesota +210
• Opening total: Over/Under 49 points scored
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Ninety minutes pre-kick, North Carolina is a 7-point favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook. The Tar Heels opened -6.5 and steamed up to -8, then spent the middle part of the week at -7.5.

North Carolina is taking 62% of spread tickets/81% of spread dollars.

"The public is all over North Carolina. We saw some early sharp play on UNC, too, but got some buyback on Minnesota at +8/+7.5," TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said.

The total opened at 49 and spent time at 50 and 51, and it's jumped up to 52.5 today. The Over is taking 53% of tickets/64% of money.

"Sharp play on Over 49," Lucas said.

UPDATE 3:30 P.M. ET FRIDAY: On Monday, the Tar Heels went from -6.5 to -7 and -7.5, with the line stagnant ever since at BetMGM. North Carolina is seeing 62% of early spread bets/74% of early spread dollars.

BetMGM opened the total at 49.5, briefly backed up to 48.5 Monday before surging to 50, and went to 51 Thursday. Ticket count is 2/1 and money 4/1 on the Over.

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET MONDAY: North Carolina (2-0 SU/1-1 ATS) got much more of a challenge than anticipated from Appalachian State in Week 2. The Tar Heels, who closed as 19.5-point home favorites, needed double overtime to claim a 40-34 victory.

Minnesota is out of the gate at 2-0 SU, but 0-2 ATS. In Week 2, the Golden Gophers beat Eastern Michigan 25-6 as 20-point home faves.

At TwinSpires, North Carolina was quickly bet up to 8, then receded to -7.5. The Tar Heels are getting 62% of tickets/81% of money on the spread.

"Sharps and public are siding with North Carolina early," Lucas said.

The total is steady at 49, with 52% of tickets/53% of money on the Over.

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full College Football Odds Week 3 Report containing spreads, lines, and trends for every Top 25 matchup.

Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson