Charlotte at Duke: 10/31/20 College Football Picks and Prediction
Photo by Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Blue Devils (1-5) vs Charlotte 49ers (2-2)
Game Info: Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 12:00 pm (Wallace Wade Stadium)
Betting Odds: Duke Blue Devils -11 -- Over/Under: Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Charlotte 49ers will travel to Wallace Wade Stadium to take on the Duke Blue Devils this Saturday night in College Football action.
The Charlotte 49ers won their 2nd straight game and improved to 2-2 (2-1 C-USA) on the season after defeating the UTEP Miners, 38-28, this past Saturday. Charlotte did a great job forcing turnovers against the Miners and had no trouble securing the victory after a 13-yard TD run by Micaleous Elder gave the 49ers a 31-14 lead with 4:40 left in the 4th quarter. Charlotte was outgained by UTEP by a 374-329 margin, however, won the turnover battle by a 3-0 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the 49ers was RB Aaron McAllister who had 68 yards & 2 TD on 8 carries.
On the season, Charlotte is averaging 31.0 ppg on 402.5 total yards per game (236.8 passing yds/g; 165.8 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Charlotte has been led by the backfield duo of Aaron McAllister (30 att, 239 yards, 3 TD) and Tre Harbison III (51 att, 200 yards, 3 TD). QB Chris Reynolds completed 59.8% of his passes for 929 yards, 5 TD, & 2 INT. The top receiving threats for Reynolds and the 49ers have been Victor Tucker (19 rec, 263 yards, TD), Micaleous Elder (12 rec, 159 yards), Cameron Dollar (9 rec, 148 yards, 2 TD), and Tyler Ringwood (7 rec, 110 yards).
Defensively, Charlotte is allowing their opponents to average 26.3 ppg on 420.0 total yards per game (222.0 passing yds/g; 198.0 rushing yds/g).
The Duke Blue Devils dropped to 1-5 (1-5 ACC) on the season after being defeated by the NC State Wolfpack, 31-20, on October 17th. Duke looked solid in the 1st half against the Wolfpack, going into halftime with a 20-14 lead, however, the Blue Devils struggled on both sides of the ball in the 2nd half and couldn’t fight back after a 39-yard FG by NC State’s Christopher Dunn gave the Wolfpack a two-possession game with just 3:17 left in the 4th quarter. Duke was outgained by NC State by a 355-319 margin and committed 3 turnovers in the loss. Leading the way for the Blue Devils was WR Jake Bobo who had 62 receiving yards and a TD on six receptions.
On the season, Duke is averaging 21.3 ppg on 401.5 total yards per game (252.2 passing yds/g; 149.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Duke has been led by RB duo of Deon Jackson (109 att, 446 yards, 2 TD) and Mataeo Durant (59 att, 356 yards, 3 TD). QB Chase Brice has completed 54.9% of his passes for 1,461 yards, 6 TD, & 11 INT. The top receiving threats for the Blue Devils have been Jake Bobo (21 rec, 250 yards, TD), Noah Gray (24 rec, 237 yards, 2 TD), Jarett Garner (10 rec, 210 yards, TD), and Jalon Calhoun (17 rec, 187 yards, TD).
Defensively, Duke is allowing their opponents to average 30.7 ppg on 400.5 total yards per game (249.0 passing yds/g; 151.5 rushing yds/g).
The 49ers are 3-1 ATS on the season and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a losing record. The Blue Devils are 3-3 ATS on the season, however, are just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games on grass.
Charlotte is a better team than they get credit for as they have balanced offensive attack and a solid defense which ranks 41st in passing defense. It’s been a tough season for Duke and although they have looked competitive at times, the Blue Devils have been crushed by turnovers this season as they come into this game with 22 total turnovers on the season (12 INT, 10 Fumbles) and a turnover margin of -11. Duke is the better team here still, however, as I think Charlotte will be able to generate some turnovers and have some success offensively, I think the play here is to take the 49ers and the points. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Charlotte 49ers +11
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
