2022 North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

2022 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS BETTING ODDS, PREDICTIONS, PREVIEW

The UNC football team headed into the 2021 season with huge expectations, but an opening weekend trip to Virginia Tech resulted in a 17-10 loss, tamping down expectations. To make matters worse, a 45-22 setback on a neutral field against a bad Georgia Tech team all but dashed any hopes of a championship, and the leaves hadn't even started to change on the trees by then.

Updated on 11/19/2024

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After picking up a 38-7 win over rival Duke, retaining the prized Victory Bell, the Tar Heels suffered a 35-25 loss at home against a mediocre Florida State team to fall to 3-3. A 45-42 win over Miami was followed by a 44-34 loss at Notre Dame. Do you notice a trend? Win one, lose one. Win one, lose one. It lasted the rest of the season through a 34-30 loss at NC State against the rival Wolfpack.

UNC headed to the Duke's Mayo Bowl and took it on the chin against border rival South Carolina, slipping to 6-7. After preseason expectations of a conference championship, and whispers of being a sleeper for a College Football Playoff spot, QB Sam Howell and the Tar Heels didn't even finish above .500. The offense did its past, going for 30 or more points in eight of the 12 regular-season games, but the defense allowed 30 or more points in nine of the final 11 games, including the bowl.

Howell is now gone to the NFL, so QBs Jacolby Criswell and Drake Maye will duke it out for the starting signal caller job. Both saw limited action in 2021. Top target WR Josh Downs (98-1,273-8) returns, so either quarterback will have one of the premier wideouts in the nation camping under passes downfield. TEs Kamari Morales and Bryson Nesbit could also be decent safety-valve options and red-zone threats, and WR Antoine Green emerged as a solid force late in 2021.

Veteran coach Gene Chizik returns to Chapel Hill for a second go-around, and he'll be tasked with whipping a bad defense back into shape. The team went big in the transfer portal, stocking up on stoppers up front to pair with DT Myles Murphy. The team's top tackler, LB Cedric Gray, is also back, and he was one of a few bright spots on D last season. The secondary was shaky, and is perhaps the area of most concern again in 2022.

The non-conference schedule is a joke, and UNC should roll through the front end of the schedule. The ACC portion of the schedule opens with a test from Notre Dame at Kenan on Sept. 24, followed by Virginia Tech and Miami on the road. We'll have a good sense of where this team is by the time we get the first chill in the air in mid-October.

This isn't likely to be a ranked team at any point, as the quarterback position is being settled, and the secondary is a huge question mark. But the scheduled isn't terribly daunting, either. This has the looks of at least a seven-win team, although the preseason, on-paper form never came close to the on-field product and production in 2021, so beware.

Best Bet: North Carolina Over 6.5 Wins (-150)

2022 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS SCHEDULE

• Sat., Aug. 27 - vs. Florida A&M
• Sat., Sept. 3 - at Appalachian State
• Sat., Sept. 10 - at Georgia State
• Sat., Sept. 24 - vs. Notre Dame
• Sat., Oct. 1 - vs. Virginia Tech
• Sat., Oct. 8 - at Miami-Florida
• Sat., Oct. 15 - at Duke
• Sat., Oct. 29 - vs. Pittsburgh
• Sat., Nov. 5 - at Virginia
• Sat., Nov. 12 - at Wake Forest
• Sat., Nov. 19 - vs. Georgia Tech
• Fri., Nov. 25 - vs. NC State

WIN TOTAL ODDS

• Over 6.5 (-150)
• Under 6.5 (+120)

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

+1600

In the Coastal Division, you just never know. Pittsburgh emerged as an 11-win team last season, winning the ACC Championship to do the Coastal proud. UNC entered the season with dreams of doing just that, but fell back early. The expectations aren't nearly as lofty, as quarterback issues and defensive back issues are likely to hold this team back. A bowl team, UNC can achieve that, but a championship team, that ship sailed last season.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS ODDS TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

+12500

After last season, even the most fervent Tar Heels fan or student is cautiously optimistic and not heaping tons of praise and expectations onto the 2022 version. UNC was believed to be a legitimate national title dark horse, but we quickly found out it wasn't meant to be. The roster isn't constructed nearly as well as the preseason version of 2021, and another rough ride and struggle for bowl eligibility is ahead. A championship run is not.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS 2022 HEISMAN CONTENDERS & ODDS

Josh Downs (WR) +20000

Downs was tremendously effective working with the NFL prospect Howell, but he is likely to take a step back with either Criswell or Maye at the helm. Downs set a school record with 101 receptions last season, so the hype is real. However, a Heisman shot is unlikely due to the unsettled quarterback situation.

2021 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS BETTING RESULTS

• SU: 6-7
• ATS: 5-8
• O/U: 8-5
• ATS-Home: 4-3
• ATS-Road: 1-5
• ATS-Favorite: 4-6
• ATS-Underdog: 1-2

MORE CONFERENCE ODDS

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish