Ahead of No. 17 Duke football’s return to action against N.C. State, the Blue Zone brings you some can’t-miss prop bets:
N.C. State at Duke (-3.5)
In a familiar, yet strangely rare, Tobacco Road match against N.C. State, Duke enters the contest crushed after its 21-14 loss to Notre Dame, a game where the Blue Devils had a chance of victory until the last minute. The Duke defense, which has allowed only 11.2 points per game this season, will look to prey on an inexperienced quarterback in N.C. State’s MJ Morris. In their last outing against the Thundering Herd, the Wolfpack offense was hot — with Morris scoring four touchdowns through the air with 256 passing yards. However, it was far from perfect, as Marshall entertained a possible upset after picking off Morris three times. This will be a game where the Blue Devils’ defense will rebound from its mistakes and exploit the imperfections and inexperience of the Wolfpack’s offense. Offensively for Duke, there may also be newness under center in redshirt freshman quarterback Henry Belin IV. But, unlike Morris, in Belin’s first appearance against Lafayette, the New York native was a perfect 8-8 from the air. Belin might not be as good a runner as junior Riley Leonard, whose status is still day-to-day after an ankle injury suffered against the Fighting Irish, but he has a strong pocket presence. He was ranked as the No. 32 pocket passer in the class of 2022 by ESPN. The Cardinal-Hayes product will face a N.C. State defense that cannot be overlooked — it leads the ACC in sacks with 21. Nonetheless, Duke will rebound after heartbreak, albeit in a close match up.
Pick: Duke -3.5
Jordan Moore O/U 52.5 receiving yards
Junior receiver Jordan Moore will need to step up in order for the Blue Devils to secure the win. With senior tackle Graham Barton making his return from injury, whoever the signal caller is for Duke will have a more secure pocket and time to deliver to receivers. Also, the Wolfpack will be focused on stopping the Blue Devils’ run game with the controversy at the quarterback position. Moore has consistently racked up receiving yards in every game this season, and expect him to do the same Saturday.
Pick: Jordan Moore over 52.5 receiving yards
O/U 46.5 points
Both defenses will be looking to dial back in. Duke’s defense ranks seventh nationally in passing yards allowed per game, and against Marshall, M.J. Morris completed only 53.1 % of his passes — with the aforementioned three interceptions. N.C. State’s defense also averages less than 100 rush yards per game, posing a challenge to the Blue Devils’ dominant run game. Expect a down-to-the-wire, low-scoring battle.
Pick: Under 46.5 points
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