As Duke travels to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern Saturday afternoon, the Blue Zone has you covered with some can't-miss prop bets:
Duke (+10) vs Northwestern
With how well Duke played on both sides of the ball against Temple, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which Northwestern runs away with the game by more than 10 points. On the other hand, the Wildcats’ offense just came off a thriller win against Nebraska and looks to continue its talents on its home field against Duke. Given this, I would not immediately rule out a Duke win. But if both teams come into this game playing like they did last week, the contest will be a slugfest—but that means touchdowns on each side of the field. That said, I keep my pick with the Blue Devils.
Pick: Duke +10
Over/Under 57 total points
Going off of last year’s matchup, the over is a solid pick. While Northwestern has an even more porous defense, it faces a stronger Duke offense than last season. If sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard can continue his form from last week’s game against Temple, the Blue Devils should easily top the 30 points from last week. Northwestern’s offense will decide if the over hits. They have likely prepared for the Duke defense and should also be able to put points up on the board. With that in mind, this game is a likely high-scoring affair that hits the over.
Pick: Over 57
First to score
Duke has already shown the college football world that it can come out swinging—it scored on four of its first five drives against Temple. On the other hand, Northwestern struggled to get going early against Nebraska, only scoring on three of its first seven drives. Considering Duke’s struggle to score points in the second half against the Owls, the Blue Devils may be even more motivated to score early in this game. If Duke can put Northwestern on the back foot early, it will allow its defense to go to work.
Pick: Duke
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Morgan Chu is a Trinity junior and a photography editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.