Northwestern Wildcats vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction, 9/16/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Northwestern Wildcats vs Duke Blue Devils

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Blue Devils (-19)

Total/Over-Under: 47

The Northwestern Wildcats (1-1) are traveling to Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 2023 where they will attempt to beat the Duke Blue Devils (2-0). Northwestern opens as 19-point underdogs. The over/under has been set at 47.

The Northwestern Wildcats come into this matchup with a record of 1-1 for this season. In their last contest, the Wildcats took on the UTEP Miners and took home the win by a score of 38-7. Ben Bryant connected on 11/17 with 116 yards passing and 1 touchdown. He had a QB rating of 141.4 and finished the game without throwing a pick. Cam Porter led the offense in rushing for the Wildcats with 17 totes for 90 yds (5.3 yards per carry). The Northwestern Wildcats ran the football 39 times and accrued 184 yds, earning them an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. For the game, they had 59 plays which totaled 391 yds. Northwestern relinquished 19 completions on 30 attempts for 215 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.3%. Against the rush, the Wildcats gave up 104 yds on 35 attempts, which is an average of 3.0 yards per run allowed.

When it comes to scoring, the Northwestern Wildcats have an average of 22.5 PPG. Offensively they average 98.0 yards rushing which has them sitting 111th in D-1. The Wildcats have earned 592 total yards over the course of this year. With reference to notching touchdowns, Northwestern has amassed 3 passing touchdowns and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Northwestern has accumulated 30 1st downs as a unit, and they have been called for 7 penalties for 63 yards. They have given the ball to the opposition 2 different times.

Regarding yards via the pass, the Wildcats have conceded 378 yds which puts them in 46th in Division 1. They have allowed 189.0 yards per game via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 61.0%. During the season, they are giving up 302.0 yards per contest which ranks them 44th in Division 1. They have conceded 2 touchdowns by air as well as 2 touchdowns on the ground. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 2.9 yards per running attempt and 113.0 yards on the ground per contest this year. Over the course of this season, they have allowed 226 running yards through 2 games. The Wildcats sit in 40th in D-1 when it comes to their opponents scoring, conceding 15.5 points per game.

Get all of our College Football Picks Against the Spread

The Blue Devils step onto the field holding a record of 2-0 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Blue Devils went home victorious with a score of 42-7 against the Lafayette Leopards. Riley Leonard (1 touchdown) ended the game with 136 yds on 12/12 passing while his quarterback rating was 222.7. He didn't throw any interceptions and his average yards per attempt was 11.3. Jordan Waters carried the football 11 times for 112 yards, ending the contest with 10.2 yds per carry for Duke. Duke rushed for 5.8 yds per attempt, totaling 261 yds on 45 carries. The Blue Devils finished the contest with a total of 515 yds and they ran 66 plays (7.8 yards per play). The Blue Devils passing defense gave up a completion percentage of 50.0%, relinquishing 87 yards on 9 out of 18 passing. Duke relinquished 33 rushing attempts for 126 yds (3.8 yards per rush).

The Duke Blue Devils maintain an average of 444.5 yards/game, which is good for 43rd in Division 1. The Duke offense has 70 yards of penalties on 11 violations, which ranks 74th in college football in terms of giving up free yards. They hold an average of 230.0 run yards per game and have run for 460 yards for this season. They have thrown 0 picks while losing 3 fumbles and they have been able to earn 46 1st downs. In relation to their scoring prowess, the Blue Devils rank 48th in the country by scoring 35.0 points per game. For the year thus far, the Blue Devils have thrown for a total of 429 passing yards along with an average of 214.5 throwing yards per outing, ranking them 83rd in college football.

Duke has allowed a total of 339 yards on the ground (169.5 yards/game) in addition to 0 touchdowns by way of the ground game for the season. They have given up 2 touchdowns via the pass as well as 148.0 yards/contest, which has them ranked 19th in the country. Their defense has tallied 2 fumbles and 3 picks on the campaign. The Blue Devils defense has taken the field for 134 plays, which ranks 79th in Division 1. The Blue Devils are allowing 7.0 points per game, which has them 8th in Division 1. In total, they have allowed 14 points in total.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Blue Devils -19

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here