Duke at MTSU NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium

Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium is the venue where Asher O'Hara and the MTSU Blue Raiders will take on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. Duke opens this game as 6.5-point favorites. The total is set at 51. The Blue Devils are 1-1-0 ATS and 1-1-0 when betting on the total. The Blue Raiders are 2-0-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-1-0 against the spread.

Key Duke Blue Devils Injuries

09/06/19 TE Jake Marwede Knee is out indefinitely
09/06/19 RB Marvin Hubbard III Achilles is out indefinitely
08/23/19 LB Koby Quansah Thumb is out indefinitely
08/09/19 WR Jake Bobo Collarbone is out indefinitely

Key MTSU Blue Raiders Injuries

No key injuries to report

In the last game they played, the Duke Blue Devils took on the North Carolina A&T Aggies and notched a win by a score of 45-13. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Blue Devils was Quentin Harris who went 30/42 with 345 yards passing and added 4 TD's. He ended the game without an interception. Quentin Harris led the team on the ground for that contest. He had a long run of 15 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown for the game. He rushed for a total of 83 yards by way of 13 carries which meant he averaged 6.4 yards per run. Jalon Calhoun led the team in receiving yardage by earning 105 yards on 8 receptions. He earned an average of 13.1 yards per reception for that contest. The Duke Blue Devils ran the football 46 times and earned a total of 210 yards which gave them an average of 4.6 yards per rush. For the contest, the Blue Devils racked up 31 1st downs and they had 9 infractions for 97 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. In the game, they totaled 90 plays which gave them a total of 574 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Duke allowed 8 catches on 25 attempts for a total of 111 yards, and a completion percentage of 32.0%. Overall, they allowed a total of 249 yards and forced 2 takeaways. Against the run, the Blue Devils allowed 138 yards on 29 attempts which gave them an average of 4.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Blue Devils head into this matchup 1-1 this season. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 24 points per contest, ranking them 87th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 158.5 rushing yards per game which is 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 11th in the ACC and 69th in the nation with 778 yards. The Blue Devils have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 27.5 points per contest putting them 10th in the conference. In regard to yards rushing, Duke is giving up 141.5 yards per contest which has them at 7th in the ACC and 69th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4 yards per carry which has them at 9th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 79th in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 283 yards rushing through 2 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Blue Devils have conceded 461 yards. Teams are completing 62.3% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.8 yards per attempt.

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In their last outing, the MTSU Blue Raiders went up against the Tennessee State Tigers and were on the winning end of this game by a score of 45-26. Chaton Mobley led the team in rushing for that contest. His longest run of the day went for 38 yards and he tallied 2 touchdowns for the contest. He rushed for a total of 104 yards on 9 carries which means he ran for an average of 11.6 yards per carry. DJ England-Chisolm led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 80 yards on 1 catch. He had an average of 80.0 yards per reception for that contest. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Blue Raiders was Asher O'Hara who went 22/30 with 367 yards through the air and completed 4 touchdowns. He gave away 1 pick in the game. The MTSU Blue Raiders rushed the ball a total of 28 times and racked up 237 yards which earned them an average of 8.5 yards per rush. In the game, the Blue Raiders totaled 31 1st downs and they had a total of 5 penalties for 57 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the day, they ran 58 plays for 604 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Middle Tennessee State gave up 21 completions on 33 tries totaling 259 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.6%. On the day, they conceded 466 yards and earned 2 turnovers. On the ground, the Blue Raiders gave up 207 yards on 42 runs which gave the opponent an average of 4.9 yards per carry allowed.

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The Blue Raiders come into this matchup with a record of 1-1. MTSU is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 152 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 76th in the country. As a team, they have a total of 304 rushing yards through 2 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Blue Raiders average 452.5 yards per game overall putting them 51st in the country and 3rd in C-USA. The Blue Raiders are conceding 33 points per contest which puts them at 9th in the conference and 109th in Division 1. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre groups in the country. They are giving up 239.5 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Blue Raiders currently sit at 9th in the conference. In regard to points allowed, they have allowed 66 total points. When talking about rushing yards, they are conceding 220 yards per game ranking them 122nd in Division 1 and 12th in Conference USA. For this season, they have given up 440 yards rushing and 4 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Blue Devils/Blue Raiders college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Blue Devils -6.5

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