Quick Lane Bowl Betting: Rutgers vs. North Carolina Odds, Pick

Rutgers is 6-1-1 against the spread over its last eight bowl appearances; North Carolina is 6-3-1 ATS over its last 10 bowls. Two good recent bowl bets meet when the 7-5 Scarlet Knights and the 6-6 Tar Heels play in the first-ever Quick Lane Bowl on Friday, December 26, at Ford Field in Detroit.

Quick Lane Bowl point spread: Tar Heels opened as three-point favorites; the total was 66. (Line updates and matchup report)

Odds Shark computer prediction: 25.7-25.1 Tar Heels

Why the Scarlet Knights can cover the spread

The Knights started 5-1 this season. They scored a cross-country upset at Washington State and a victory at Navy. The only loss in that span came in a tough 13-10 decision at Penn State. Rutgers also picked up its first-ever Big Ten victory, a 26-24 win over Michigan, before losing three straight to some of the bigger boys of the conference.

But the Knights won two of their last three games, beating Indiana and Maryland to become bowl-eligible for the fourth straight season. Rutgers trailed the Terrapins 35-10 late in the second quarter but rallied back behind quarterback Gary Nova, who threw four touchdown passes to up his season total to 20.

Why the Tar Heels can cover the spread

The Tar Heels started just 2-4 this season, with losses at East Carolina, at Clemson and at Notre Dame. But Carolina then won four of its next five, knocking off eventual Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech 48-43 and bowl-bound Pitt and Duke.

The Heels then got upset by North Carolina State in their season finale, but they're still playing in a bowl for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. North Carolina is powered by quarterback Marquise Williams, who completed 63 percent of his passes this season for almost 2,900 yards and 20 scores and led the team in rushing with 700 yards and 12 more scores.

The Heels hit the 40-point mark six times this season, so they can move the ball.

Smart Pick

North Carolina holds an edge on offense, and while its defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Heels still probably have the Knights outclassed. The smart choice in this spot is with North Carolina, the favorite at the short spread.

Trends

• Rutgers is 2-4 straight up in its last six games
• The total has gone under in four of North Carolina's last five games

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.