North Carolina vs. Minnesota Best College Football Prop Bets for Week 1

Reed Wallach | Aug 28, 2024

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The first full slate of college football season is here, which means we have some player props to dive into!

Minnesota and North Carolina meet in the Twin Cities on Thursday in hopes of jump-starting bounce-back campaigns for each team, but who has the edge in the opener? I'm counting on each team's defense to have the edge which is dictating my props as well as some opportunities to emerge for a dual-threat quarterback.

Here's my three favorite player props for Minnesota vs. North Carolina.

Best Player Prop Bets for North Carolina vs. Minnesota 

• Omarion Hampton UNDER 95.5 Rushing Yards
• Conner Harrell Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+350)
• Daniel Jackson UNDER 58.5 Receiving Yards

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Omarion Hampton UNDER 95.5 Rushing Yards

Hampton is the bellcow of the North Carolina backfield, but this is a team going through a ton of turnover on the field. The Tar Heels are replacing Drake Maye at quarterback with a rotation of Max Johnson and Conner Harrell and four starting offensive linemen. 

Hampton is more than capable of racking up rushing yards, but in a game with a below-average total and a matchup last season that saw him get only 13 carries for 46 yards as the Tar Heels look to beat the Golden Gophers through the air, I’m skeptical we see him hit close to 100 yards. 

If the game is close, Hampton won’t get as many opportunities to have some game-sealing runs and I also expect head coach Mack Brown to try and get both quarterbacks some opportunities to throw. 

This number is simply too high for Hampton. 

Conner Harrell Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+350)

Harrell is going to play in this game as the quarterback competition continues between him and Johnson, and there’s the chance that he gets goal-line work as well. 

In his lone start in college, Harrell ran the ball 17 times for 25 yards as the 6’2” sophomore is a dual-threat option. 

If the Tar Heels get in close, look for Harrell to keep himself at long odds given it’s been announced he will play in some capacity. 

Daniel Jackson UNDER 58.5 Receiving Yards

There is a chance that Jackson will miss the opener. The projected No. 1 option in the Minnesota offense has been dealing with a nagging injury. 

If he does go and is limited, this yardage prop will likely age well due to limited usage, but I do believe that we see some growing pains from the Golden Gophers offense with New Hampshire quarterback Max Brosmer. The team prefers to keep the ball on the ground, lean on its defense, and force the issue on the ground. 

Even if healthy and the Golden Gophers’ passing game starts strong this season, Jackson went over this mark in half of his games. With injury questions, I can bet on a subpar effort relative to last year's expectations. 

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.