Troy Trojans vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction, 12/23/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Troy Trojans vs Duke Blue Devils

Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023

Location: Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL

TV: ABC

Odds/Point Spread: Blue Devils (+2)

Total/Over-Under: 44.5

Protective Stadium is the location where the Duke Blue Devils (7-5) will try to defeat the Troy Trojans (11-2) on Saturday, December 23, 2023 in the 76 Birmingham Bowl. Troy opens this game as 2-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 44.5.

The Troy Trojans head into this matchup 11-2 for this year. In their last contest, the Trojans took on the Appalachian State Mountaineers and notched a win by a score of 49-23. Kimani Vidal was the leader on the ground for the Trojans with 26 carries for 233 yds (9.0 yards per attempt). Gunnar Watson finished 16/24 with 192 yards through the air and 1 touchdown. He had a QB rating of 147.6 and finished the game without throwing a pick. In the running game, the Trojans conceded 108 yds on 41 tries, which is an average of 2.6 yds per rush surrendered. Troy conceded 28 pass completions on 39 attempts for 275 yds, and a completion percentage of 71.8%. Overall, they ran 60 plays which converted into 463 yards. The Troy Trojans ran the rock 35 times and accumulated 271 yards, which had them averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.

The Trojans have attained 5,542 total yards over the course of this season. When it comes to notching touchdowns, Troy has earned 29 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns. They have given the ball to the opposition 17 different times. Troy has a total of 280 1st downs, and they have committed 68 infractions for 597 yards. As a unit they average 158.8 yards on the ground ranking this team at 64th in the nation. Concerning scoring, the Troy Trojans hold an average of 31.2 points per game.

The Trojans are ranked 10th in the nation in terms of team defense, allowing 17.2 points per game. The opposition is running for 3.1 yards per rushing attempt and 103.5 yards on the ground per contest this season. During this campaign, they have given up 1,346 rushing yards through 13 outings. Regarding passing yards, the Trojans are allowing 2,638 yards which has them sitting in 56th in the country. They have conceded 202.9 yards per outing via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 62.5%. For the year, they are granting 306.5 yards per outing which puts them 15th in the country. They have given up 13 touchdowns via the pass as well as 12 touchdowns running the ball.

Get all of our College Football Picks Today

The Blue Devils head into this matchup 7-5 this year. In their last game, the Blue Devils walked away with a victory by a final of 30-19 against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Jordan Waters carried the ball 9 times for 31 yards, walking away from the game with 3.4 yds per attempt for Duke. Grayson Loftis (2 touchdowns) walked away from the contest with 248 yards on 20/37 passing while his quarterback rate was 122.8. He threw 1 interception and his average yards per attempt was 6.7. Duke gave up 32 attempts on the ground for 43 yards (1.3 yds per carry). The Blue Devils secondary gave up a completion rate of 71.4%, surrendering 265 yds on 25 out of 35 through the air. The Blue Devils finished with 317 yds and they ran 67 plays (4.7 yds per play). Duke rushed for 2.3 yds per attempt, finishing the game with 69 yds on 30 attempts.

Regarding the points being put on the board, the Blue Devils currently rank 64th in Division 1 scoring 27.8 points per game. The Duke Blue Devils maintain an average of 349.6 yards/contest, which is good for 96th in the country. The Duke offense has accrued 545 yards of penalties on 67 infractions, ranking them 79th in college football in terms of helping out the opposition. They have given away 7 picks while losing 6 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 226 1st downs. During this campaign to this point, the Blue Devils have compiled 2,168 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 180.7 passing yards per outing, which has them ranked 112th in the nation. They average 168.9 yards per game on the ground and have toted the ball for 2,027 yards for this season.

The Blue Devils are surrendering 19.8 points per contest, which has them 22nd in the nation. Duke has allowed a total of 1,756 yards on the ground (146.3 yards/game) as well as 14 touchdowns rushing for the year. Overall, they have conceded 238 points. They have given up 11 touchdowns via the pass as well as 208.3 yards/outing, which has them in 39th in college football. The Blue Devils defense has participated in 826 plays, which has them ranked 80th in college football. They have totaled 5 fumbles and 10 picks for the season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Blue Devils +2

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