Notre Dame Opens as 5.5-Point Road Favorite at UNC in Week 12 Black Friday Game
- Notre Dame has opened as a five and a half point favorite over host North Carolina for Friday’s game in Chapel Hill
- The Fighting Irish are 8-0 and hold a one-game lead over Clemson and Miami in the ACC
- North Carolina is 6-2 and has an outside chance of reaching the ACC Championship Game
Instead of bargain hunting, Notre Dame will spend Black Friday looking to get one step closer to the ACC regular-season title.
The first-place Fighting Irish (8-0 overall, 7-0 ACC) look to stay perfect when they visit North Carolina (6-2, 6-2) at 3:30 p.m. at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Notre Dame has opened as a five and a half point favorite.
#2 Notre Dame vs #25 North Carolina Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | -260 | -5.5 (-128) | N/A |
| North Carolina | +205 | +5.5 (-102) | N/A |
Odds taken Nov. 22 from Fanduel
Notre Dame leads the conference by one game over Clemson (7-1, 6-1) and Miami (7-1, 6-1) with three to play. Fourth-place North Carolina has faint hopes of reaching the conference championship game.
Both teams had byes this weekend and are coming off victories on Nov. 14.
Kelly Hits Century Mark
Notre Dame downed Boston College 45-31 on the road in its previous game as a 11.5-point favorite.
Ian Book threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to give Brian Kelly his 100th win as coach of the Fighting Irish.
#2 Notre Dame improved to 8-0 with a 45-31 win over Boston College.
QB Ian Book had 368 total yards and 4 touchdowns.
✅ND -11.5 ✅o51.5#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/ZKxjbrbE8f
— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) November 15, 2020
Book completed 20 of 27 passes for 283 yards and added 85 yards rushing. Ben Skowronek caught all three touchdown passes.
Kelly moved into for second place with Lou Holtz and is just five wins away from Knute Rockne’s school record.
C’Bo Flemister rushed for two TDs and finished with 53 yards on 10 carries.
Notre Dame held Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who previously played for the Fighting Irish, to 18-of-40 passing.
Howell Has a Day
Behind a record-setting performance by quarterback Sam Howell, North Carolina rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat visiting Wake Forest 59-53. The Tar Heels were 13-point choices.
Howell set school records with 550 yards passing and six touchdown passes. He also scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 20-yard run with 4:11 left.
Sam Howell has recorded his 13th career game with 3+ Pass TD today against Wake Forest in this his sophomore season.
That ties him with Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence for the most such games since the start of last season. pic.twitter.com/cM3PAOATPi
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 14, 2020
Howell’s TD run was part of a string of 35 unanswered points by North Carolina that turned a 45-24 deficit into a 59-45 lead.
North Carolina also set a team school record with 742 yards. Wide receivers Dazz Newsome (10 for 189) and Dyami Brown (eight for 163) combined for 18 receptions and 352 yards.
On the downside, the Tar Heels allowed Wake Forest to rack up 606 yards of total offense.
Irish RBs Banged Up
Flemister (leg) and fellow running back Kyren Williams (shoulder) left the win over Boston College early. However, both are expected to play against North Carolina.
Williams is Notre Dame’s leading rusher with 777 yards and 10 touchdowns on 137 carries. He also has 17 catches for 215 yards.
NOTRE DAME SET THE TONE💥
Kyren Williams 65-yard TD
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) November 8, 2020
Flemister has 293 yards on the ground and five TDs in 53 attempts.
Book will also have to get used to a new center as Jarrett Patterson underwent football surgery this past week and will be replaced by Zeke Correll.
Defensive tackle Jason Ademilola will miss his second game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
North Carolina center Brian Anderson missed the Wake Forest game was replaced by freshman Quiron Johnson. Anderson’s status for this week is to be determined.
Bucking the ND Trend?
Notre Dame is always a public betting favorite and that is why it is a 5.5-point favorite on the road against a 6-2 team that has won back-to-back games.
Look for some sharp money to perhaps go on North Carolina, which is capable of springing the upset.
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
