The Duke Blue Devils (1-0) head to Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (1-0) for this college football matchup on Friday, September 6 at 9:00 PM ET. The Wildcats are slightly favored to win their second straight at home with a point spread at -3.0 (-110).
The Blue Devils head into this game after a 26-3 blowout over the Elon Phoenix. This was their first battle with new head coach Manny Diaz, who prioritizes a strong defense.
Their defense landed eight sacks on the night and caused havoc on Elon's Matthew Downing. They did a great job slowing them down, allowing the Phoenix to score their only three points in the fourth quarter.
While the Blue Devils did have one turnover, they demolished the total yards battle and accumulated 350 overall while allowing 140. Surprisingly, they possessed the ball less than Elon at 26 minutes.
The Blue Devils are averaging 6.5 points per quarter. They will need to pick up the pace offensively against a slower-paced team like the Wildcats. If they can hold possession of the ball longer, they will be able to push the pace and potentially earn more scoring drives.
The Wildcats capped off a 13-6 victory over the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks in their first game of the season. Both teams committed two turnovers each, but the Wildcats had just the right amount of yards as first downs down the stretch.
There was a lot of back-and-forth action in this matchup. The offense had a solid lead going into the fourth quarter. The most significant shift in the game was when quarterback Mike Wright ran in a touchdown in the third quarter to put them ahead.
Their offense was a bit sluggish, averaging a little over three points per quarter. Against the Blue Devils, this could become an issue if they are unable to convert on key scoring drives.
The Wildcats must utilize Wright as a dual threat here to give some breathing room. He must be more accurate with passing, as he completed 18 of his 30 passes in their win. As for their defense, they will need to stop an aggressive offense from the Blue Devils.
MyBookie provides the college football betting odds in the Duke Blue Devils vs. Northwestern Wildcats. The Wildcats are 3.0-point favorites to succeed at home.
Market insights suggest that the Wildcats have a 54.4 percent probability of winning. This shows a close battle is on the way, but the Blue Devils pose a solid chance at covering the spread.
