Two of the brainiest schools in the nation will square off in Week 2 of the 2018 college football season when the Northwestern Wildcats host the Duke Blue Devils. Both teams are coming off impressive wins in their season openers. Northwestern was a one-point road favorite per the CFB betting odds on the road against Purdue last Thursday and held on for a 31-27 win, while Duke scored a comfortable win and covered the NCAAF betting line in a 34-14 victory over Army. One team will move to 2-0 after this one.
This contest in Week 2 will go down Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 12 p.m. ET at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Duke +2.5
Northwestern -2.5
Over/Under Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
There hasn’t been too much line movement since the CFB betting line for this game was released on Sunday evening. Northwestern was originally listed as a field goal favorite, but Duke money has pushed that number down a half-point to where it sits now. The over/under for this game will likely be released Monday evening.
Position to Watch
No one really knows what to make of Northwestern’s quarterback position after what we saw in the opener. Clayton Thorson tore his ACL in the Music City Bowl at the end of last season, and his status was a little unknown in the run-up to last Thursday’s game. He was on the field for the first two series, easily leading the Wildcats to two touchdowns, but then he was inexplicably pulled from the game. Thorson was replaced by TJ Green, and the two alternated series the rest of the way.
After the game, head coach Pat Fitzgerald was coy as to why he made the move. Thorson had not been injured, as was feared, and he suggested that Northwestern would employ a two-quarterback system against Duke. That’s somewhat confusing as Thorson was seen as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he looked much sharper than Green on Thursday.
Player to Watch
Daniel Jones looked very sharp for Duke in its opener on Friday. David Cutcliffe was banking on this being the year that Jones turned the corner since it was his third year as a starter, and he is off to a great start. Jones was extremely efficient in Duke’s 20-point victory over Army, completing 13 of 17 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown on the day.
One of the encouraging things about his performance was that he proved he can throw accurate mid-range and deep balls in the victory. Jones was known for throwing a lot of underneath routes and checking down often during his first two seasons as Duke’s starter, but this was a much more complete performance.
Free ATS Pick
When these teams met last year, it was all Blue Devils in a 41-17 blowout win. Duke won virtually every aspect of the game, outgaining Northwestern by a margin of 538 yards to 191 yards, controlling the ball for 70 percent of the game, and racking up 19 more first downs. Thorson had an awful game against Duke’s secondary, going 11 of 29 for 120 yards with two interceptions. He will need to play much better for Northwestern to win here.
The quarterbacks are going to take center stage in this one. Thorson and Jones are two of the better signal callers in the game, and these were seen as two of the better secondaries in college football at the start of the year. However, Duke’s secondary looked a bit shaky against Army, giving up some big plays through the air against an option team.
I think the over could be the best play in this game, but it all depends on the opening number per the CFB odds. For a side, I think Duke will pull off the slight upset.
College Football Odds: Duke 37, Northwestern 31
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