Week 0: North Carolina vs Florida A&M 8/27/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds

The North Carolina Tar Heels and Florida A&M Rattlers meet Saturday in week 0 college football action from Kenan Memorial Stadium. Florida A&M posted a 9-3 overall record last season, eventually falling to Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. As for North Carolina, they went 6-7 overall last year. The Tar Heels got an invite to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl but couldn’t come up with a win in the final game. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.

Florida A&M managed a 9-3 overall record in 2021, going a nice 7-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. Unfortunately, the Rattlers finished in second place among the East Division standings behind the unbeaten (8-0) Jackson State. 

Florida A&M started out the year a little shaky with a 1-2 run through the first three games, but then took off on an eight-game win streak. The Rattlers were ranked as high as No. 22 before falling to Southeastern Louisiana in the FCS Playoffs First Round on November 27. 

Over on the North Carolina side, they had their ups and downs last season. The Tar Heels eventually finished 6-7 overall and 3-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. That result would put North Carolina just two spots out of the basement in the Coastal Division. 

The Tar Heels faced some stiff competition in 2021 and could only muster consecutive wins once all season. Still, North Carolina received a berth in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where they lost to South Carolina 38-21 on December 30 to finish off the year. 

PICK: I’m probably going to take a stab on Florida A&M. Most of that is due to the uncertainty surrounding the Tar Heels as they enter the 2022 season—there’s plenty of improvement to be had on the field. North Carolina suffered greatly from sacks and penalties last year, and they’ll be without star QB Sam Howell. The good news is that the Tar Heels have a solid group of young talent across the board, and they’ll also benefit from the ever-reliable Josh Downs, who should continue to set receiving records in 2022 (if the team can get him the ball). All in all, though, it may take a few games for the Tar Heels to hit their stride, and I think the Rattlers can stay in range for a cover here.