Syracuse Orange vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, 10/24/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Syracuse Orange vs North Carolina Tar Heels

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Location: Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC

TV: ACC Network

Odds/Point Spread: Tar Heels (-9.5)

Total/Over-Under: 46

The North Carolina Tar Heels (4-2) welcome the Syracuse Orange (2-4) at Kenan Stadium on Saturday, October 24, 2026. North Carolina opens this game as 9.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 46.

The Syracuse Orange come into this matchup with a record of 2-4 this year. In their last game, the Orange stepped onto the field against the Louisville Cardinals and took a loss by a final of 34-26. The Syracuse Orange ran the football 39 different times and recorded 123 yards, earning them an average of 3.2 yards per attempt. When the final whistle blew, they had 83 plays which totaled 462 yards. Syracuse surrendered 14 completions on 26 tries for a total of 310 yards, and a completion rate of 53.8%. Against the run, the Orange conceded 115 yds on 35 attempts, which calculates to 3.3 yds per run allowed.

Concerning scoring points, the Syracuse Orange are sitting at 31.7 points per contest. As a team they are averaging 158.7 yards on the ground which is 66th in the country. The Orange have earned 2,699 total yards for the season. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, Syracuse has compiled 14 passing touchdowns and 9 touchdowns via the ground. Syracuse has compiled 162 first downs offensively, and they have committed 61 penalties for 566 yards. They have surrendered the ball 10 different times.

Concerning passing yards, the Orange have given up 1,145 yds which has them ranked 26th in Division 1. They have allowed 190.8 yards per outing via the pass as well as conceding a completion percentage of 53.9%. In total, they have surrendered 330.3 yards per game which has them ranked 43rd in D-1. They have surrendered 7 touchdowns via the pass and 13 touchdowns pounding the rock. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.2 yards per rush on the ground and 139.5 rushing yards per game on the campaign. Over the course of this season, they have conceded 837 rushing yards through 6 games. The Orange rank 90th in Division 1 when it comes to team defense, giving up 25.7 points per game.

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The Tar Heels head into this game 4-2 this season. When they last played, the Tar Heels took home the win by a final score of 24-20 when they played the Duke Blue Devils. The Tar Heels finished the contest with a total of 326 yds while running 64 plays (5.1 yds per play). North Carolina ran the ball for 3.5 yards per carry, finishing with a total of 135 yards on 39 attempts. North Carolina surrendered 30 rush attempts for 124 yards (4.1 yds per rush). The Tar Heels passing defense gave up a completion percentage of 58.5%, relinquishing 249 yds on 24 out of 41 through the air.

The North Carolina Tar Heels hold an average of 329.8 yards per outing, which has them ranked 117th in D-1. The North Carolina offense has totaled 202 yds of penalties on 25 violations, ranking them 133rd in Division 1 in terms of helping out the opposition. They average 116.2 rushing yards per game and have rushed for 697 yards in total. They have thrown 5 interceptions while letting opponents recover 5 fumbles and they have been able to earn 116 first downs. When looking at the points being put on the board, the Tar Heels rank 100th in the nation maintaining an average of 23.5 points per game. For the year so far, the Tar Heels currently have a total of 1,282 yards via the pass in addition to holding an average of 213.7 passing yards per game, which ranks 89th in Division 1.

North Carolina has given up a total of 884 rushing yards (147.3 yards per game) and 6 touchdowns via the rush for the campaign. They have surrendered 6 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 211.7 yards/game, ranking them 69th in Division 1. Overall, they have conceded 115 points in total. Their defense has tallied 3 fumbles and 5 picks for the season. The Tar Heels defense has been on the field for 434 plays, which is 85th in the nation. The Tar Heels are surrendering 19.2 points per contest, which has them 34th in the nation.

Who will win tonight's Orange/Tar Heels college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Orange +9.5

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