Believe it or not, North Carolina has the advantage in the all-time series against mighty Miami. They’ll play for their sixth straight win in the series and Bill Belichick’s era-defining win when they host the No. 1 Hurricanes (7-0, 5-0 in ACC).
The situation is quite different from the last time the two met in 2023, when Drake Maye threw four touchdown passes and Omarion Hampton ran for nearly 200 yards in No. 12 UNC’s 41-31 win over No. 25 UM the week after Mario Cristobal’s ill-fated decision to keep running the ball late against Georgia Tech. Now Cristobal is fresh off a national championship appearance and boasts the nation’s top offense led by two Heisman contenders in Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney.
Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill was a disaster, but Carolina (4-3, 2-2) has already matched its win total from last year. His reputation as a defensive mastermind will be put to the test against Mensah, who is eyeing the FBS record for completion percentage, and Toney, fresh off a 16-catch, 194-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece against Pittsburgh.
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Miami vs UNC odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Oct. 30.
Moneyline: Miami (-610) | UNC (+455)Spread: Miami by 14Over/under: 52½
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Miami vs North Carolina predictions, picks for college football Week 9
Rodd Baxley, Fayetteville Observer
Miami 38, UNC 18: “The Tar Heels have improved enough to close in on bowl eligibility, but the Hurricanes are in a different neighborhood as national championship contenders. In what will serve as a gauge-where-we-are game for Bill Belichick’s program, ‘The U’ will pull away in the second half.”
Pete Fiutak, College Football News
Miami 30, UNC 23: “The Bill Belichick defense will get to Mensah and into the backfield better than anyone else has so far. Again, this isn’t a Miami team that’s had to deal with a slew of killers, but the battle-tested win over Florida State was a big plus. It won’t buckle when this gets close late.”
Bill Bender, Sporting News
Miami 38, UNC 21: “North Carolina allowed 455 total yards in a 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse last week. It’s going to be a challenge slowing Miami’s high-powered offense around Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney. The Tar Heels have not allowed a 300-yard passer this season and are 4-1 ATS as an underdog.”
How to watch Miami Hurricanes vs North Carolina
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31Start time: 7:30 p.m. ETTV channel: ABCLive streaming: Fubo (free trial) | ESPN Unlimited
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami vs UNC predictions, picks, odds. Who wins Week 9 college football game?
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This story was originally published October 31, 2026 at 7:41 PM.