Andrew Levy, a blog columnist for the Blue Zone, examines prop bets for Duke's season opener against Army on Friday.
Over/Under: 10.5 tackles for Joe Giles-Harris
Duke fans are probably familiar with the name already, but Joe Giles-Harris has the ability to become a household name across the country. The redshirt junior has been a starter for the last two seasons, and has recorded over 100 tackles in each. Currently projected to be an All-ACC linebacker, he is a key focal point in stopping the run. A byproduct of their unique triple option, Army averaged 60 attempts per game on the ground last season. In Duke’s 2017 meeting against the Golden Knights, Giles-Harris recorded 10 tackles in the game, one of the five times he recorded a double-digit tackles game. The redshirt junior will be a major force in stopping the run.
Pick: Over
Over/Under: 4.5 Pass Attempts by Army
With an extremely run-heavy offense, the Black Knights rarely put the ball in the air, averaging only five passing attempts per game. Against Duke last year, quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw only attempted one pass the entire game, a completion that went for 42 yards. However, this year Army has a new starting quarterback in junior Kelvin Hopkins Jr, who attempted a pass in all seven games that he appeared in. Don’t be surprised if Army relies on the arm of the newly appointed captain down the stretch.
Pick: Over
Duke -13 vs Army
While Duke football was historically a basement team in the ACC, under the tutelage of Coach David Cutcliffe the Blue Devils have found some recent success, including against the spread. The Blue Devils last season were 7-5-1 against the spread. Also, the Cutcliffe era accounts for 18 of the 20 games since 1995 that Duke has been a double digit favorite. In those games, Coach Cutcliffe is 13-4-1 against the spread, including a 44-3 drubbing of Army in 2015. In that season, Army was also starting a new quarterback against a Duke team with fairly high expectations. This year, Army is replacing a three year starter and coming into Wallace Wade Stadium against a Blue Devils team that should improve from last years’ squad. I expect Duke to come out strong in the season opener and cover the lofty spread.
Pick: Duke
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