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

In this article, we will formulate a Northwestern vs Duke prediction for this College Football Week 2 Game on Friday, September 6th at Martin Stadium.

Northwestern Pulled out a Win, Somehow

There was nothing pretty about the first game for the Northwestern Wildcats but they were able to win and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters. The talk heading into the first game was about the offense and how it was supposed to be better but against Miami of Ohio they were only able to score 13 points. The defense sure stepped up in a big way though and they ended up winning 13-6.  

Mike Wright was under center and he completed 18 of his 30 passes for 178 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He did have a big game on the ground rushing nine times for 65 yards and a touchdown. Cam Porter was the top running back rushing 13 times for 63 yards. Bryce Kirtz caught six passes for 91 yards. In this game, Northwestern needs to find a way to move the ball with more success, and find the end zone a few more times. The defense did finish with two interceptions and creating a few turnovers would really help their chances in this game. 

Duke Defense Stepped Up

The Duke Blue Devils, in the first Game, faced off against the Elon Phoenix, and they were able to secure a 26-3 victory. The three points given up didn’t happen until the 4th quarter. The offense got out to abit of a slow start but they looked better late and ended up 26 points. Maalik Murphy was under center and he completed 26 of his 40 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He played well but he needs to avoid the interceptions. 

One area Duke could really improve would be the running Game. The top rusher was Jaquez Moore and he finished with 10 rushes for 24 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Moore had a huge Game out wide catching seven passes for 112 yards. On defense they really stepped up against the pass and rush. They consistently were getting in the backfield and that type of pressure is going to be important again here. 

Northwestern vs Duke Prediction

I am not all that concerned that Duke is on the road, they don’t deserve to be the underdogs in this Game. Northwestern’s offense had some major issues moving the ball the first Game and it’s going to be much of the same here. Duke gave up only three points in the first Game and their defense is going to step up in a big way here. Northwestern’s defense isn’t going to bail them out again here, and it will be the Blue Devils that are going to come out on top. Back Duke against the spread.