North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Missouri Tigers
Monday, 12/26/11, 5:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread: Missouri -3.5
Current Betting Line: Missouri -5.5
Opening Total: 53.5
Current Total: 52.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
North Carolina will make its fourth consecutive bowl appearance and first in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. The Tar Heels will be playing in the postseason for the fourth straight year, which is the school’s longest since going to seven straight bowl games from 1992-98. “I’m excited for our players, especially this group of seniors,” commented Tar Heels interim coach Everett Withers. He will give way to Larry Fedora who was hired out of Southern Mississippi. North Carolina is 2-3 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points the last two-plus years, dropping all of those contests in straight-up fashion.
The Tar Heels will want to get the ball in the hands of freshman tailback Giovani Bernard, who comes in with 1,222 rushing yards this season. Senior wide receiver Dwight Jones is also a legitimate threat on the outside, coming in with 1,119 receiving yards. The duo is the first in school history to post 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Quarterback Bryn Renner is the pilot of a balanced offensive attack, throwing for 2,769 yards and will look to become just the second player in program history to hit the 3,000-yard mark.
Missouri will be making its third appearance in this particular contest since the 2003 season, splitting a pair of games against Southeastern Conference foes, beating South Carolina in 2005 (38-31) and dropping a 2003 contest to Arkansas (27-14). “I think heading to the Independence Bowl is a plus,” stated Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel. “This is much better for us, and much more fan-friendly.” The team comes into the season having won its last three games. Missouri is 1-3 ATS when playing with two weeks or more of rest the last two-plus seasons.
The Tigers are making their seventh consecutive bowl game outing, which has shattered their old school record of four straight. Missouri comes in sporting an all-time bowl record of 12-16, which is the 27th-most in FBS history. Pinkel has built the program into one of the nation’s best, posting the 10th-most wins in the nation since the 2007 season. Sophomore quarterback James Franklin is the leader offensively, passing for 2,733 yards and gaining 839 on the ground. Missouri has the 12th-best offense in terms of total yards in the nation, but will be going against a defensive unit that allows just 106.2 rushing yards per game.
Bettors will likely back the Tar Heels due to their 19-9 ATS mark as an underdog, while the Tigers are 3-8 ATS when playing on a neutral field.
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