The Duke Blue Devils (6-3, 2-3 ACC) take on the NC State Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC) Saturday afternoon. Below we will continue our college football odds series as we hand out a Duke-NC State prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the Duke-NC State College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Duke-NC State Odds
Duke: +3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +125
NC State: -3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -150
Over: 50.5 (-115)
Under: 50.5 (-105)
How to Watch Duke vs. NC State
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Duke Could Cover The Spread/Win
Duke was 5-0 to start the season, but they have since lost three of their last four games. Their lone win in that span was against a very bad Florida State team. However, they have a chance to turn it around in this game. NC State has allowed the third-most points per game in the ACC at 30.8. The Wolfpack has allowed 33.8 points per game in their five conference games, as well. Take away the Clemson game, and NC State has still allowed 27.3 points per game in the conference. Expect Duke to put up some points.
Maalik Murphy has played well for the Blue Devils. He is coming off a tough game against Miami, but I do not expect that to be a regular occurrence. On the season, Murphy has thrown 2,121 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. However, he had just five interceptions heading into the Miami game. Murphy should be able to flush his game against Miami and give Duke a chance to win.
Duke does a good job on defense. Duke has allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game in the ACC, and just 22.4 points per game. NC State wants to the pass to the ball to win, so Duke has to be strong in coverage. They do a decent job getting to the quarterback, as well. If Duke can play well defensively, they will win.
Why NC State Could Cover The Spread/Win
NC State should be able to play some good defense. As mentioned, the Blue Devils have struggled lately, especially in the conference. Duke has scored just 23 points per game in their five conference games, which will not be good enough to win this game. Duke does a poor job running the ball, so NC State has to just stop the pass. If they can do that, and keep Duke to three touchdowns or less, they will win.
NC State does not do a great job on offense. However, they have done well in their last two games. In fact, NC State is coming off a game in which they put up 59 points. On that same note, Duke has struggled on defense in their last two games especially. The Wolfpack should be able to put up some points against Duke if they continue to play as they have been.
One area where NC State will be able to excel is the run game. NC State's top three running backs each average over five yards per carry, and they have combined for 919 rush yards per season. Expect NC State to get their total yardage on the season to well over 1,000 yards in this game. If the wolfpack can run the ball well, they will be in a good position to win.
Final Duke-NC State Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a good game. I do think Maalik Murphy will get the job done, though. I am going to take Duke to win this game straight up.
Final Duke-NC State Prediction & Pick: Duke ML (+125)