Starting the season off in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, we are getting a neutral site game between UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State at Bank of America Stadium.  Given Charlotte’s still very young program, we’ve only seen 3 matchups between these two programs.  Unfortunately for Charlotte’s sake, App State has claimed all 3 of these games, with the most recent coming in the 2020 season.  Last season the Mountaineers finished 5-6 overall, putting them in 6th place in the East Sun Belt division, while the 49ers finished the season 5-7 placing 8th in the AAC.  This is looking to be a relatively even match-up as DraftKings currently has App State listed at -5.5 (-108) to Charlotte listed at +5.5 (-112), with the moneyline favoring App state at -198 to Charlotte at +164.  The over/under is currently projected at 49.5 (over -112; under -108).

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Weather

The Duke’s Mayo Classic kicks off at 7:00 PM ET on Friday night, and conditions couldn’t be much better. The forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff, dropping into the mid-to-low 70s as the night goes on, with only a 4% chance of rain. The only potential weather factor would be the wind, but even that looks minimal—holding around 1 MPH out of the East with occasional gusts up to 9 MPH.

Team Overviews

Charlotte enters with little continuity on either side of the ball, as a wave of transfers are expected to start Friday night. The 49ers appear set to roll with Chapel Hill transfer Conner Harrell at quarterback. The offensive line provides the only real carryover from last season—a solid place to have it, especially in a season opener. On defense, just three starters are expected to return, with the rest coming from the transfer portal, making it intriguing to see how that unit holds up.

App State also brings in its share of transfers, though nowhere near the volume Charlotte has. With kickoff just over two days away, the Mountaineers still haven’t named a starting quarterback, though that may be more of a strategic move than true uncertainty. Like Charlotte, their continuity on offense is strongest along the line, but the big difference comes on defense, where App State boasts a veteran core and experience at nearly every position.

ATS & Over/Under Trends

Charlotte’s ATS record last season was perfectly balanced at 6-6-0, and the same holds true in their role as an underdog, where they went 4-4-0. Totals leaned heavily to the over for the 49ers, with 8 games going over and just 4 staying under. As underdogs, that percentage dipped slightly, with 5 overs compared to 3 unders.

App State, on the other hand, struggled ATS last year with a 4-6-1 mark, and they were even worse as favorites, posting just a 1-3-1 record. From an over/under standpoint, the Mountaineers were a clear under team, recording 2 overs, 8 unders, and 1 push. As favorites, the numbers were even more decisive, with 0 overs, 4 unders, and 1 push.

Final thoughts

This marks the start of a new era for both programs, with brand-new head coaches and plenty of fresh faces on the field. App State holds the clear edge here, thanks to its continuity and veteran presence on defense, but if the offense struggles, Charlotte could find a way to stay in the game.