Both Duke and Northwestern enter the Week 2 college football schedule off opening victories. Northwestern defeated Miami (Ohio), 13-6, with Duke defeating Elon, 26-3, last week. Northwestern head coach David Braun had a seven-win turnaround last year in his first season with the program as the Wildcats finished 8-5 after going 1-11 under Pat Fitzpatrick the season before. Duke went 8-5 last year for its second straight winning season but will play just its second game under new head coach Manny Diaz.
Kickoff is set for Friday at 9 p.m. ET. Northwestern is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Northwestern vs. Duke odds according to the SportsLine consensus, with the over/under for total points scored is 37. Before making any Duke vs. Northwestern picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Northwestern vs. Duke and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Duke vs. Northwestern:
- Duke vs. Northwestern spread: Northwestern -2.5
- Duke vs. Northwestern over/under: 37 points
- Duke vs. Northwestern money line: Northwestern -139, Duke +117
- Duke: The Blue Devils went 2-3 ATS on the road last season
- NW: The Wildcats are 3-7 in their last 10 games played on a Friday
- Duke vs. Northwestern picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Duke can cover
The Blue Devils had a dominant defensive showing in their opening 26-3 victory over Elon. Although it came against an FCS program, Elon is one of the better programs at that level with three straight seasons of finishing .500 or better. Duke had eight sacks and held Elon to 140 yards with just 11 first downs in the contest. Elon went 3-for-15 on third downs and averaged 2.3 yards per play.
Quarterback Maalik Murphy had a strong first impression in his opening game at Duke, completing 26 of 40 passes (65%) for 291 yards with two touchdowns in his Blue Devils debut. Murphy, a sophomore, was the No. 9 quarterback in the Class of 2022, according to 247Sports, and was one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal this offseason after playing at Texas as a freshman. Jordan Moore, who led Duke in receptions (62) and receiving yards (835) last season, showed an immediate chemistry with Murphy after having seven receptions for 112 yards against Elon. See which team to pick here.
Why Northwestern can cover
Northwestern forced two turnovers and held Miami (Ohio) to 40 rushing yards and 1.7 yards per carry last week. The Wildcats allowed just 4.1 yards per play in total, which ranked 23rd in college football after Week 1. Northwestern returned some top defensive talent from last year’s surprising 8-5 outcome, including senior linebacker Xander Mueller, who had 102 tackles, and junior defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard, who had six sacks. The Wildcats held opponents to 10 points or fewer in four of 13 games last season while holding teams to fewer than 20 points six times as defense was the key reason for the team’s successful season.
The start of last season was rough for Northwestern for reasons beyond the football field. Previous head coach Pat Fitzpatrick was fired in July 2023 after hazing allegations emerged, leaving Northwestern to quickly find his replacement. After a 4-5 start, Northwestern won its final four games, including a 14-7 victory over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl as new head coach David Braun, who coached on the defensive side his entire career, cemented a defensive identity to the team. See which team to pick here.
How to make Northwestern vs. Duke picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 41 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Duke vs. Northwestern, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer simulation model that’s up well over $2,000 on its college football picks since inception, and find out.
