After a bowl-clinching win against Boston College, Duke returns home to face Virginia Tech. The Blue Zone has you covered with some can't-miss prop bets:
Duke (-9.5) vs. Virginia Tech
It’s a new era for the Blue Devils, and they are in it to win it. For the first time since 2018, Duke is bowl-eligible, and Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech serves to potentially heighten its resume.
The Blue Devils have had a solid start to the season. Being bowl-eligible and 6-3 overall is a pronounced improvement from last season’s 3–9 record and 0-8 mark in conference play. While Duke lost against the spread in last week’s game versus Boston College, the Blue Devils’ performance was strong. Sophomore running back Jaquez Moore had a stunning game, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 82 yards.
Virginia Tech is on the flip side of the coin. The Hokies are currently 2-7 and have had a difficult season. Virginia Tech lost to Georgia Tech last weekend by one point and to Miami a few weeks before by six points—a team that Duke beat 45-21. The Blue Devils might have been the underdogs last year, but it is the Hokies who are in a rough patch this season.
With this gap in talent, expect Duke to take over on the field and cover the spread.
Pick: Duke -9.5
Over/Under 49.5 total points
Averaging 418.6 yards and 34.8 points per game, Duke has seen a surprising upgrade in its first season under head coach Mike Elko. In last Saturday’s game against Boston College, Moore and fellow running back Jordan Waters had 15 and 11 carries for 82 and 52 yards, respectively, with sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard adding 111 yards on the ground and a further 158 in the air.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech is tied for 95th place for passing yards with 212.3 yards per game and has averaged just 20.8 points per game.
Even with an incredible season so far, the Blue Devils have gone 3-4 on the over, where the Hokies have gone 3-6. While Duke has been able to beat the odds this year and revamp its offense, Virginia Tech’s struggles indicate that this game may not be high scoring.
Pick: Under 49.5
Riley Leonard over/under 58.5 rushing yards
The Fairhope, Ala., native has had an impressive season, with 1,851 passing yards and 159 completions so far. In his first game against Temple, the quarterback had 64 rushing yards and has kept that up with his average over the eight games since being 64.1 yards per game. Leonard has proven to be a rushing yards leader, even in times of loss. At the North Carolina game, where Duke lost 38-35, he had his highest rushing total of the season with 130 yards.
With Leonard being a rushing star this season, it seems reasonable to assume that he is bound to have more than 58.5 rushing yards against Virginia Tech.
Pick: Over 58.5
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