Two teams that are mightily struggling will meet on Halloween, as Syracuse football is set to host fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina in a Friday night showdown.
Both the Orange and the Tar Heels enter this week-10 clash having lost four straight. The 'Cuse got crushed by Georgia Tech in Atlanta, while North Carolina nearly upset Virginia but lost by one point in overtime to the Cavaliers in Chapel Hill.
It's been a disastrous 2025 campaign so far for UNC and its drama-filled head coach, NFL legend Bill Belichick. The Tar Heels have yet to defeat a power-four conference foe, and they are one of three teams that have yet to win an ACC encounter.
Syracuse football against North Carolina odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the 'Cuse as a small 1.5-point betting favorite at home versus UNC, with the over/under set at 46.5 points.
Syracuse football against North Carolina how to watch
Date: Friday, Oct. 31
Game Time: 7:30 pm EST
Venue: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: ESPN and fuboTV
North Carolina's record: 2-5 overall, 0-3 in the ACC
Syracuse's record: 3-5 overall, 1-4 in the ACC
Syracuse’s full 2025 schedule: Click here
Syracuse football against North Carolina prediction and pick
In their short all-time series together, the Orange is just 3-4 against the Tar Heels and has lost two in a row to North Carolina, according to SU Athletics. The teams last met in October of 2023.
In the 2025 campaign, the Tar Heels have lost to TCU, UCF, Clemson, California and Virginia. North Carolina has triumphs over Charlotte and Richmond. The biggest issue for UNC is its anemic offense, although Syracuse football's offense isn't much better these days.
Still, within the ACC, North Carolina hovers near the bottom in numerous offensive categories. On the defensive side, the Tar Heels are more in the middle of the league's pack. In the conference's preseason media poll, North Carolina was forecast at No. 8 in the ACC standings.
However, with Belichick at the helm, one would have thought that UNC would be a bit better than it currently is. He's clearly on the hot seat, and if North Carolina goes winless in the ACC, Belichick could get fired, which is kind of crazy, given his NFL success. Then again, college football and the NFL are two extremely different things.
While the 'Cuse is going through a rough patch, UNC is even worse. I like Syracuse football to halt its four-game skid with a 24-20 victory over North Carolina.