Duke at Northwestern Odds and Betting Picks For 9/6/2024

The Duke Blue Devils will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats on September 6, 2024, with Duke being the 2.5 point underdogs according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The early betting action sees the Northwestern Wildcats as the favorites, with 78% of spread bets in their favor. The total of 38.5 has 80% of bets leaning towards the over. Continue reading for our Duke vs Northwestern betting preview and for our best bet for this non-conference battle between power conference teams.

Duke Prepping For FBS Season Debut

Last week, the Duke Blue Devils opened their season with a win at home over the Elon Phoenix of the FCS. In that 26-3 win, the Blue Devils were impressive defensively, holding their opponent to just a field goal. But they left plenty to be desired on the offensive side of the ball, something they will look to improve on against the Northwestern Wildcats this weekend.

The top priority for Duke against Elon was clearly to get Maalik Murphy acclimated as the starting quarterback of their team. They had Murphy throw the ball 40 times in that contest, while they ran the football just 27 times as a team. But with just 59 rushing yards as a team in that game, Duke will need to be more balanced against Northwestern if they want to avoid losing their first game against an FBS opponent on the year.

Northwestern Relying On Its Defense

The Northwestern Wildcats enter this weekend's Duke vs Northwestern matchup with a record of 1-0. They defeated the Miami (OH) Redhawks in a defensive battle in Week 1, notching a 13-6 win in that contest. For Northwestern to win again this week, they are probably going to need another stellar performance from their defense, as their offense is a huge question mark at this point in time.

Eliminating turnovers is going to be huge in determining whether or not Northwestern comes away with a win in this game. The Wildcats turned the ball over twice against Miami (OH) last week, which helped keep the Redhawks within striking distance, even if Northwestern did end up winning in the end. Ball security against Duke will be key, in a game that could be very low scoring at Northwestern's intriguing temporary stadium in Illinois.

Duke vs Northwestern Best Bet

The total for this Duke vs Northwestern matchup is incredibly low, but we still anticipate this game going under that total when all is said and done. Northwestern's offense is a legitimate concern for them at this point in time, while their defense is nothing short of spectacular. Look for an Iowa Hawkeyes-esque performance from Northwestern here that will keep the game under the total no matter who ends up winning this ACC vs Big Ten clash.

Be sure to check out all our free NCAAFB picks here.