The Pac-12 and ACC will prepare for an epic clash in the Holiday Bowl at a unique venue in Petco Park as the Oregon Ducks take on North Carolina with bragging rights on the line. Check out our college football odds series where our Oregon-North Carolina prediction and pick will be unveiled.
For a brief few weeks, Oregon had the makings of possibly coming out of the Pac-12 with College Football Playoff aspirations in sight, but they could not capitalize down the stretch with some gut-wrenching losses to conference foe Washington and arch-rival Oregon State to end the regular season. Certainly, the conclusion of the year was a bit of a disappointing one for Oregon, but fear not Ducks fans, for this roster will be fully loaded for this late-December contest in San Diego.
Similar to Oregon, North Carolina also showed off glimpses of being conference contenders in the ACC, but they fell flat on their faces with three-straight losses to end the season. Trying to avoid a fourth-consecutive loss that would no question leave a bad taste in their mouths heading into the off-season, UNC will be looking for a much-needed win on Wednesday night.
Here are the Oregon-North Carolina college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Holiday Bowl Odds: Oregon-North Carolina Odds
Oregon Ducks: -13.5 (-118)
North Carolina Tar Heels: +13.5 (-104)
Over: 74.5 (-115)
Under: 74.5 (-105)
Why Oregon Could Cover The Spread
Year after year with top-ranked recruiting classes, there is no denying that the Ducks have a boatload of talent on both sides of the ball. However, this hasn't always been a direct correlation to greater success on the football field, as Oregon has failed to even come away with conference titles over the course of the past couple of seasons. Nevertheless, Oregon enters the Holiday Bowl as a massive favorite and will be seeking to live up to expectations.
For starters, Oregon's speedy brand of football all starts with former Auburn QB and transfer Bo Nix. Already announcing his intent to return to Eugene for 2023, Nix proved to be a major get for the Ducks after he completed 75% of his passes while accounting for a whopping 41 touchdowns to lead Oregon's offense. Prior to this year, Oregon desperately needed better quarterback play and that is exactly what they got. Obviously a productive dual-threat signal caller, a Tar Heels defense that oftentimes got exposed through the air and on the ground might find it difficult to cope with Nix's ability to make plays happen.
While the Ducks have been known for their high-flying offense for many years now, it has been the defense that has been much improved from recent years. Unfortunately, the bowl game blues have hit this unit hard as they will be without cornerback Christian Gonzalez, linebacker Noah Sewell, and defensive end D.J. Johnson. Despite being shorthanded, the Ducks have the talent to replace these impact players, but their room for error will be razor-thin.
Why North Carolina Could Cover The Spread
Although the Tar Heels have had to avoid the distraction of the news that freshman phenom QB Drake Maye may be getting NIL offers from SEC schools upwards near five-million dollars annually, his focus will be on the Holiday Bowl and the efforts to snap North Carolina's brutal losing streak.
Ranked as high as #13 in the AP poll only a few short weeks ago, North Carolina has endured a complete meltdown. Even so, Tar Heels fans can find solace in Drake Maye, who might've been a Heisman candidate if UNC did not start losing. Fortunately, the ACC Player of the Year may single handily be the reason that the Tar Heels cover against a shorthanded Oregon secondary that was already giving up 260 passing yards even with all hands on deck. Over the course of his previous three games, the young field general has only generated one touchdown through the air, so having rebounding in a big way will be an absolute must, especially since they will be without top wideout Josh Downs.
One look at the defense and the realization kicks in that the outcome of this game may depend on whether or not the Tar Heels are up to the task of stopping a powerful Ducks offense. Alas, the expectation is that UNC will have most of their players on defense suiting up for action which will be extremely pivotal. Through 13 games played, North Carolina has surrendered 438 yards per game and has also allowed 31 points per contest.
Final Oregon-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
Both teams come into this one reeling of late, but Oregon still holds a hefty talent advantage in comparison to UNC and will be playing with some pent-up frustration after how their lofty season expectations came crashing down to an end. In the first Holiday Bowl since the 2019 season, the Ducks should prevail in a big way.
Final Oregon-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: Oregon -13.5 (-118)
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