North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction, 9/28/2024 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024

Location: Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Blue Devils (-3.0)

Total/Over-Under: 56

Wallace Wade Stadium is where the Duke Blue Devils (4-0) will attempt to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1) on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Duke opens as 3.0-point favorites. The betting total comes in at 56.

The North Carolina Tar Heels head into this game 3-1 for this year. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Tar Heels went up against the James Madison Dukes and took a loss by a final of 70-50. In all, they had 79 plays which gave them a total of 616 yds. The North Carolina Tar Heels ended up running the ball 31 times and tallied 141 yds, which is an average of 4.5 yds per carry. Against the run, the Tar Heels conceded 223 yds on 39 attempts, which is 5.7 yds per run surrendered. North Carolina gave up 22 pass completions on 34 attempts for a total of 388 yards, and a completion rate of 64.7%.

When talking about putting the ball in the endzone, the North Carolina Tar Heels are averaging 38.0 points per outing. As a unit they are averaging 221.8 yards on the ground which is 24th in the nation. The Tar Heels have racked up 1,871 total yards for the year. In terms of distribution of touchdowns, North Carolina has earned 6 touchdowns via the pass and 12 rushing touchdowns. North Carolina has compiled 102 first downs offensively, and they have committed 36 infractions for 290 yards. They have given the ball to the opposition 8 different times.

When it comes to passing yardage, the Tar Heels have allowed 953 yds which has them sitting in 102nd in D-1. They have relinquished 238.3 yards per outing via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 56.7%. In total, they are surrendering 345.0 yards/game which puts them 70th in D-1. They have granted 7 touchdowns via the pass as well as 5 touchdowns via the ground game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.1 yards per run and 106.8 rushing yards per game this season. For the year, they have given up 427 yards on the ground through 4 games. The Tar Heels sit in 99th in Division 1 regarding team defense, giving up 29.3 points per contest.

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The Blue Devils step onto the field holding a record of 4-0 for this season. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Blue Devils got the victory with a final of 45-17 when they faced the MTSU Blue Raiders. The Blue Devils finished with 340 yds on 56 plays (6.1 yards per play). Duke ended up running for 3.5 yards per attempt, totaling 124 yds on 35 carries. Duke allowed 40 running attempts for 168 yds (4.2 yards per rush). The Blue Devils pass defense allowed a completion percentage of 60.0%, relinquishing 127 yards on 21 for 35 through the air.

In terms of putting points on the board, the Blue Devils are ranking 66th in college football holding an average of 30.8 points per game. The Duke Blue Devils maintain an average of 360.5 yards per outing, which is good for 93rd in Division 1. The Duke offense has 174 penalty yards on 19 violations, which is good for 96th in the nation in terms of giving up free yards. They have given away 4 picks while losing 1 fumble and they have been able to earn 74 first downs. Over the course of the season thus far, the Blue Devils have thrown for 1,024 yards through the air in addition to an average of 256.0 passing yards per contest, which has them ranked 49th in college football. They average 104.5 yards per game via the rush and have toted the ball for 418 yards for the season.

The Blue Devils are surrendering 15.3 points per contest, which has them sitting 28th in D-1. Duke has given up a total of 509 yards via the ground game (127.3 yards per outing) in addition to 4 touchdowns via the rush for the year. Overall, they have surrendered 61 total points. They have conceded 2 touchdowns through the air and 132.0 yards per game, which has them ranked 14th in Division 1. The Blue Devils defense has participated in 276 plays, which is good for 113th in the country. They have earned 5 fumbles recovered and 3 interceptions so far this year.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Tar Heels +3.0

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