Miami vs. North Carolina prediction, pick, odds, spread: Hurricanes defend No. 1 ranking vs. Bill Belichick

Miami looks to stay unbeaten against a sneaky-good North Carolina team on the road Prior to last week, Miami had not held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll since 2002, but so far the Hurricanes are looking every bit the part of the best team in the country. Not only have they raced out to a 7-0 start this year, but they've done so in a way that suggests a continuation of the success that led Miami all the way to the national championship game last season. With a 14-1 record in its last 15 games, Miami has been one of the best teams in the country since early November 2025, and now each week provides yet another opportunity for this year's team to validate that high poll ranking.

This week, that means a trip to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick and North Carolina in a game that offers Cristobal and Miami a chance to reverse a recent skid in the series. The Tar Heels have won their last five meetings in the series, including a 2-0 record against Cristobal with wins in 2022 and 2023. But those two Miami teams finished a combined 12-13 overall, while this year's group is clearly playing on a different level. For starters, those teams didn't have not