Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs West Virginia Odds, and Picks (Dec 27)

• North Carolina went 2-4 in their last 6 games, after starting the year 6-0.
• West Virginia heated up down the stretch, winning 4 of their last 5 games.
• These two teams last met on December 27, 2008, in a game West Virginia won 31-30.

College football has made it to bowl game season! Let’s preview the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the West Virginia Mountaineers. They are both 8-4, aiming to finish at 9-4.

How to Watch

• ESPN

Preview

North Carolina had high hopes for this season with top NFL prospect Drake Maye leading the offense. They climbed to #10 in the country after a 6-0 start, but their defensive inconsistencies got the best of them in the second half of the season. They went 2-4 down the stretch, losing a couple of games to unranked teams and falling out of the rankings. They’ll now be without QB Drake Maye in this bowl game.

West Virginia had a solid season this year, reaching eight wins for the first time since 2018. They won four of their first five games, before dropping two in a row, and then won four of their last five after that. They’ll aim to keep up their winning ways in this game, with QB Garrett Greene set to return for both this bowl game and for West Virginia’s 2024 season. The Mountaineers have the advantage in stability over UNC.

Prediction

North Carolina looked like they could be in the mix for the CFP in September and October, but quickly slid out of the rankings. Their best asset was QB Drake Maye, who opted out of this game in favor of the NFL Draft. The Tar Heels still have lots of talented players, but it’s going to be a challenge to overcome a red-hot Mountaineers team without Maye. I’ll take West Virginia to win this bowl game by about a touchdown.

NCAAF Picks:

• West Virginia 30, North Carolina 23 ()