Although the wins haven't come yet, there's no doubt that the Tar Heels have improved on the football field. Two weeks ago, they were an inopportune fumble on the goal line away from earning their first conference win, and last week UNC took Virginia to overtime and lost on a failed two-point conversion.
This week on the road against Syracuse is another golden opportunity for the Tar Heels to get that first conference win under Bill Belichick. The Orange have lost four straight and been outscored 140-50 over that span. For the first four games of the season, Syracuse looked like a contender, but the season-ending injury to quarterback Steve Angeli stopped all that momentum.
North Carolina has also lost four straight, but as previously mentioned, the past two games have been decided on the final play.
North Carolina vs. Syracuse final odds
With both teams going through a four-game losing streak, it's not a surprise that this line is pretty small. Syracuse is a slight favorite, but the line has dropped to 1.5 after opening at 2.5. The Tar Heels are +102 on the moneyline and the Orange are -130 on FanDuel Sportsbook.
The spread is a little lower than the traditonal three points that the home team gets, showing that there is a lot of belief that UNC will win this game on the road. The total points are set at 44.5.
North Carolina football vs. Syracuse final prediction
This has to be the game, right? Everything is trending in the Tar Heels' direction, and it's the perfect time to get a little positive attention to the football team before basketball season officially tips off. North Carolina has played inspired football over the past two weeks and come within a snap of winning both games.
UNC won't need tonight''s game to come down to the final play. The defense is going to smother Rickie Collins and the Orange offense, while Gio Lopez will avoid the big mistake and put together a few solid drives to get the win.
North Carolina forces multiple turnovers and holds off Syracuse, 20-13, to give Bill Belichick his first ACC win.