The California Golden Bears and the North Carolina Tar Heels will collide in an ACC versus Pac-12 showdown when Tobacco Row descends into Strawberry Canyon. This game will be televised on FOX with a kick-off time of 4:00 PM ET. The fixture will take place in historic Berkeley, California at Memorial Stadium. In 2017, California sojourned to the East Coast to square off with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill where the Bears would get a come-from-behind win in a 35-30 epic.
North Carolina Tar Heels at California Golden Bears Overview
North Carolina Tar Heels
After compiling 19 wins between 2015 and 2016, the Tar Heels took a huge step backward in 2017 as they finished with a 3-9 record. Known for their defensive acumen, UNC was clearly missing some of the NFL-caliber talent that matriculated to the next level and made its way out of Chapel Hill. The Heels also were in their first year without stand-out quarterback Mitchell Trubisky who has since made a name for himself on the Chicago Bears. Nevertheless, Coach Larry Fedora has led North Carolina to an ACC Championship Game appearance, and his continuity as boss of this program makes many believe last year was just a one-off.
California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears finished one victory shy of bowl game eligibility in 2017 when they culminated their efforts with a 5-7 mark. Last year was a transition year under first-year Head Coach Justin Wilcox. In his inaugural journey with Big C, there has already been noticeable progress. Cal’s defense was giving up 42.6 points per game in 2016. Under Wilcox, he has reduced that mean by two touchdowns down to 28.4. With 10 returning starters on offense and eight on defense, California is expected to be in the bowl picture in 2018.
Reasons To Back North Carolina
Buying low and selling high is an advantageous practice of sports handicapping. After cementing themselves as a formidable threat in the ACC, the stock in UNC as its lowest in recent history. As a result, the Tar Heels will be offered with friendly numbers to enchant takers to back them. In this same fixture last year, UNC was spotting 12.5 points to Cal, now they are taking back a touchdown which is a 19-point swing. That is significant considering that California did not piece together a winning season in its own right, last year and only won the previous meeting by five points.
Reasons To Avoid California
Recency bias can jade the perception of this contest as many will be backing California alone by virtue of last year’s result. When this is combined with the fact most of the personnel responsible for last year’s victory will be on-board for this contest, the presumption is that this could be a rinse-wash-repeat for Big C. However, the Over/Under in this game suggests that this game will be a high-octane shootout. Spotting a touchdown with a still nebulous defensive unit like Cal’s can be very risky.
Get more details: North Carolina at California NCAAF Match-Up
