2024 North Texas Football Prediction & Preview With Betting Odds, Schedule, Key Returners & Outlook

Jonnyeagle · August 13, 2024

It could be argued the first season in the AAC and the first year under head coach Eric Morris went probably about as most would expect for North Texas.

UNTʻs win total Over/Under was set at 6 entering the season. The Mean Green barely fell short of that number, going 5-7 and 3-5 in league play.

Despite a new coach and transitioning to a tougher league, UNT still competed well. It dropped five one-score games — three of them to Tulane, UTSA, and Memphis. This was part of a brutal four-game stretch that also included a visit to SMU.

On a four-game losing skid entering Week 12 after this tough stretch, the Mean Green grinded it out and finished on a two-game win streak. That says a lot about Morris and the culture he is trying to establish.

There was certainly a lot learned last year for this program, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We’ll see if they can turn those learning curves into wins in Year 2 under Morris.

North Texas Football’s AAC Title Odds

North Texas’ odds to win the AAC are +2200, via BetMGM.

North Texas Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total

North Texas’ win total Over/Under is 5.5, with the Over at -135 and the Under at +110.

North Texas’ Rush Defense Must Improve

I remember watching North Texas play Cal during Week 1 last season. Granted, he is one of the best running backs in the country, but I still couldn’t believe how silly Jaydn Ott made the Mean Green’s defense look. Ott finished that game with 188 yards and two scores, averaging 9.4 yards per carry.

Come to find out, that was just the start of what would plague UNT all season long. Not only did its defense finish last in the entire FBS in rushing yards allowed per game (255.2), but it also ranked dead last in total defense after allowing 476.4 yards per game. It’s a surprise and a testament to their offense the Mean Green finished with five wins after giving up 37 points per game.

Teams were able to do whatever they wanted on the ground against the Mean Green all year. This, of course, opened up the playbook. If the defense is going to be better, it starts with stopping the run.

read more: https://herosports.com/fbs-2024-north-texas-football-prediction-preview-betting-odds-schedule-rmrm/