Let’s see which team is the one who takes the win on this Blue Devils at Tar Heels betting pick.
Known primarily as a college basketball rivalry, on Saturday, these two schools will take their rivalry to the turf. Duke has started their season 3-1, winning their last three games. This will be Duke’s first conference game. North Carolina has a 2-2 record, with a 1-2 conference record.
Duke is an Offensive Powerhouse
After a disappointing 2020 season, where Duke went 2-9, the Blue Devils have started 2021 in a much better fashion. With three wins to start the year, they have already surpassed 2020. While the defense has been solid so far, the offense has clearly been carrying the ship.
Most of the offensive success can be attributed to the senior quarterback, Gunnar Holmberg. So far this season, he has completed over 70% of his throws for over 1,100 passing yards. If there was any criticism to his game, it would be the lack of touchdowns; he has only thrown for three touchdowns.
Senior runningback Mataeo Durant is also off to a great start, rushing for 522 yards on 87 carries and scoring five touchdowns.
Defensively the Blue Devils have kept teams in check, for the most part, giving up less than 30 points in three of the four games they have played. In their last game, however, the defense gave up 33 points to a struggling Kansas team. The secondary gave up over 320 yards, so there is clearly room for improvement when they head to play the Tar Heels.
Bounce Back Game for North Carolina
Going into Georgia, to play Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels had won their previous two games and had a lot of momentum. That momentum ran hot in the first quarter when they had a 7-0 lead.
However, it did not last long; North Carolina gave up double-digit points in each of the last three quarters. The Tar Heels have to have a short memory, as Duke comes to town riding a three-game winning streak.
North Carolina’s quarterback, Sam Howell, has had a solid start to his junior season. He is completing over 60% of his passes, thrown for over 1150 yards, and thrown 11 touchdowns
He has also accumulated over 250 yards rushing and three touchdowns with his legs. Josh Downs, the main wide receiver target for Howell, has hauled in 32 passes for 452 yards and five touchdowns.
The North Carolina defense is led by senior Jeremiah Gemmel, who has accumulated 21 total tackles, with 15 of them being solo tackles. The one critique of the defense is they have struggled to get to the quarterback. In four games, they have only recorded six sacks.
The Picks
North Carolina is currently -20, and the points total is set at 71.
While North Carolina is good, it is hard to believe they are 20 points better than Duke. The quarterback play is relatively similar, and neither defense is outlandishly better than the other. The one thing that is for certain, there will be tons of points scored in this game.
Take Duke +20 and over 71 total points.
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