Duke vs Northwestern Prediction College Football Picks 9/6/24

In this article, we will formulate a Duke vs Northwestern prediction for this College Football game on Friday, September 6th at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this matchup. 

Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview

The Duke Blue Devils are 1-0 this season after they defeated Elon by a score of 26-3 in their first game. Duke struggled to get things going, but they did take a 10-0 lead into the half. The Blue Devils came out of halftime and scored the next 16 points, before losing the shutout on a 39-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. Duke outgained Elon by a total of 350-140 and turned the ball over one time. The Blue Devils went 5-12 on third down attempts and 0-2 on fourth down in the win. Maalik Murphy threw for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Jaquez Moore rushed for 24 yards and one touchdown, while Jordan Moore caught seven passes for 112 yards in the game. 

Duke played very well defensively in their opening win, but the offense struggled to get going. It is definitely a concern that they only managed 10 points in the first half and never really pulled away in the game, but the defense was very good. Duke will take on UConn after this game.

Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview

The Northwestern Wildcats are 1-0 this year after they defeated Miami (OH) by a score of 13-6 last week. Northwestern opened the scoring with a field goal in the first quarter, but they went into halftime tied at three. The Wildcats scored the only points of the third quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run and hit a field goal early in the fourth to go up 13-3. Miami answered with a field goal, but Northwestern was able to hang on late for the win. Northwestern outgained Miami by a total of 328-267 and each team turned the ball over two times. The Wildcats went 5-11 on third down and won the time of possession. Mike Wright threw for 178 yards and rushed for 65 yards and one touchdown, while Bryce Kirtz caught six passes for 91 yards. 

Northwestern was able to pick up the win in week one, but they can’t be happy with their offensive output. The Wildcats had some offensive issues in 2023, and it looks like that could be the case again here. Defensively, Northwestern played very well, and that unit should be a strength once again this season. Northwestern will play against Eastern Illinois, Washington, and Indiana following this one.

Duke vs Northwestern Prediction 

Both of these teams come into this game looking to improve their scoring this week, but both did pick up a win in week one. I think Duke has the brighter upside offensively, but I also think Northwestern has the better defensive unit. This should be a very exciting game to watch, but I am going to give the edge to Duke on the road. I think Duke’s offense will be able to make more plays down the stretch, while the defense can contain this Northwestern offense. Take the Blue Devils with the points.