The North Texas Mean Green take on the Charlotte 49ers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.
North Texas is favored by 26.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -3500. The total is set at 61 points.
Here’s my North Texas vs. Charlotte prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 24, 2025.
North Texas vs Charlotte Prediction
- North Texas vs. Charlotte Pick: Over 61 (-110, bet365)
My Charlotte vs. North Texas best bet is on the Over. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
North Texas vs Charlotte Odds
| North Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-26.5 -110 | 61 -110o / -110u | -3500 |
| Charlotte Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+26.5 -110 | 61 -110o / -110u | +1500 |
- North Texas vs Charlotte point spread: North Texas -26.5 (-110), Charlotte +26.5 (-110)
- North Texas vs Charlotte over/under: 61 (-110o / -110u)
- North Texas vs Charlotte moneyline: North Texas -3500, Charlotte +1500
North Texas vs Charlotte Preview
North Texas Mean Green Betting Preview: Quiet Contender
It's time to talk to your children about a 10-win North Texas Mean Green.
At 6-1, North Texas is already bowl-eligible, but seeking much more, with one of the country's most favorable schedules ahead.
The Mean Green's most challenging remaining game, Navy next week, comes at home with an extra day of rest, and before Navy's rivalry matchup against Notre Dame. They should be multi-score favorites in every other remaining game.
Last week, North Texas rebounded from its first loss of the season (a 63-36 drubbing to USF in front of a sold-out home crowd, the first of its kind at DATCU Stadium) with a resounding 55-17 win against UTSA.
Those 55 points aren't alien to North Texas. Not only does it show a willingness to give the scoreboard a workout – ask Washington State, whom the Mean Green dropped 59 on – but it has the capability across the board to consistently light it up.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker has been a pleasant surprise this season. From not having started a football game since early high school to now leading the American with 17 touchdown passes, Mestemaker has become the catalyst for this high-powered offense in 2025.
It's not just Mestemaker. The rushing attack for North Texas is efficient and, best of all, versatile. Big-bodied Caleb Hawkins and the stockier McKenzie McGill II form a dynamic one-two punch, while Mestemaker has rushed for three scores himself. This isn't an offense that relies on explosive plays to operate — it's consistently good on a down-to-down basis.
But it's been the defense that's elevated North Texas from a pretty good American team to one of the best in the Group of Five. The secondary is deep and talented, with Da'Veawn Armstead and David Fisher (both Sam Houston State transfers) leading the way.
Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity turned this unit around practically overnight. While it's not elite (30 points allowed per game ranks 97th nationally), it's been just good enough to propel North Texas to its 6-1 status. And the ceiling is high – the Mean Green held Washington State to just 10 points, UTSA to 17, and South Alabama to 22.
Charlotte 49ers Betting Preview: Offensive Struggles
Year 1 under Tim Albin wasn't expected to be a total turnaround, but things are off to a dire start in the Queen City.
Charlotte is 0-6 against FBS competition while ranking 131st nationally in scoring margin and 127th in available yards margin. The 49ers have turned the ball over the sixth-most times in the FBS, and, outside of the occasional explosive pass, the offense has been stagnant.
Quarterback Conner Harrell is out for the year with an injury, giving way to sophomore Grayson Loftis, who has thrown three touchdown passes against four interceptions in replacement duty. He's less of a dual threat than Harrell (77 rush yards, two scores), but is still a willing-enough runner.
There are simply no weapons to help Loftis, and the scheme hasn't offset that. No receiver on the roster has both five targets and an average of 13 yards per touch, and only E. Jai Mason has proven to be any sort of reliable, with 300 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
The passing game also suffers because Charlotte has one of the worst offensive lines in the country, particularly in pass protection. Due to both injuries and poor performance, there hasn't been a consistent five up front – Dallas Shirley has played three positions this year, and seven linemen have logged at least 100 snaps across the line.
Defensively, things aren't much better. Against halfway efficient offenses, Charlotte has surrendered 49 points to Temple, 54 to South Florida, and 35 to FCS Monmouth.
While things haven't been as disastrous against the less-efficient offenses like Rice, Army, and North Carolina, the 49ers have averaged just 9.5 points in games where they've held opponents under 35.
North Texas vs Charlotte Pick, Betting Analysis
North Texas opened as a 27.5-point favorite for this Friday night game, but Charlotte took some action and now sits as a 26.5-point underdog. The over/under has been bet up from 58.5 to 61.5.
This is about as lopsided an inter-conference matchup as you’ll find on paper. There's no question that North Texas is the superior team on both sides of the ball.
There's little Charlotte can do defensively to slow down North Texas' offense. Coming up short of its lofty 44.5 team total would almost certainly be due to self-inflicted wounds, but that's something Mestemaker and the North Texas offense haven't done very much this year.
Still, 44.5 points is a hefty team total, and I'm not comfortable playing over there.
With such a high point total, I'm also hesitant to lay the 26.5 points, especially with a late opportunity for Charlotte to backdoor if North Texas pulls its starters late.
Instead, I'm taking the Over.
North Texas has shown both the ability and the willingness to score early and often, as seen against Washington State, UTSA, and FCS Lamar. Those quick scores create more possessions for both teams – and more chances for Charlotte to sneak into the end zone.
Although Charlotte's offense stinks, we've seen similar games, like the 56-24 loss to USF earlier this year, push totals comfortably over.
North Texas's offense likely does most of the heavy lifting Friday night. This is a scenario where all Charlotte has to do is score two touchdowns at home.
North Texas has been an over team all season (5-2), and despite their offensive issues, Charlotte is 4-3 to the over thanks to allowing the most points in the country.
That combination points toward another high-scoring affair on Friday night.
Pick: Over 61.5 (-110, bet365)
North Texas vs Charlotte Betting Trends
