Manny Diaz enters his second game as the Duke football head coach after leading the Blue Devils to a 26-3 victory over Elon in a dominant defensive effort last week. Duke had eight sacks and held Elon to 2.3 yards per play in its Week 1 victory but will face a stronger offense when Duke plays the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday. Diaz served as Miami head coach for three seasons after previously serving as defensive coordinator at the school.
Kickoff is set for Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The Northwestern vs. Duke odds via SportsLine consensus have flipped. Duke opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but is now a 1.5-point underdog. The over/under has dropped to 37 after opening at 43.5. 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 -1.5
- Duke vs. Northwestern over/under: 37 points
- Duke vs. Northwestern money line: Northwestern -129, Duke +108
- 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 defeated Northwestern, 38-14, at home last season for their third victory over the Wildcats over the last three years. Duke has scored at least 30 points in each of those victories as even with changing personnel, the Blue Devils have dominated Northwestern in recent years. Duke is 5-0 against Northwestern since 2017 with two of those victories coming on the road.
Duke is becoming more than just a basketball school over recent years. The Blue Devils have finished with a winning record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017 and 2018 and their 17 wins over the previous two seasons were the most since 2014 and 2015. Running back Jaquez Moore had 10 rushes for 61 yards and wide receiver Jordan Moore had five receptions for 56 yards against Northwestern last year and the two key playmakers are back this fall. The addition of Maalik Murphy, a sophomore quarterback who transferred from Texas, also provides big-play potential for a Duke offense that looks to continue its recent dominance over Northwestern. See which team to pick here.
Why Northwestern can cover
Mike Wright, a fifth-year senior, takes over at quarterback for Northwestern and his dual-threat ability can make him a tough player to scheme against. Wright completed 18 of 30 passes (60%) for 178 yards while rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against Miami (Ohio) in Week 1. Wright transferred in from Mississippi State, where he was a backup and change-of-pace quarterback last season, after spending his first three years at Vanderbilt as he has immense college football experience.
Wright can elevate the offense, but it’s Northwestern’s defense that figures to be the team’s strength. Northwestern closed last season 4-0 and allowed 15 points or fewer in three of those four contests. Last year was the first season for head coach David Braun as Northwestern had to scramble to find a head coach after Pat Fitzpatrick was fired in July 2023 after hazing allegations emerged. Braun has been a defensive coach throughout his career and those strengths shined late in the season and again in Week 1 when the Wildcats held Miami (Ohio) to six points and 4.1 yards per play in the season opener. 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.
