Just 39 points? Indeed, that’s the total for Friday’s showdown between Duke and Northwestern, set for the Wildcats’ temporary stadium hard on Lake Michigan. With the wind likely to be blowing and the home team having managed just 13 points in its Week 1 opener against a MAC opponent—well, that UNDER suddenly doesn’t feel all that outlandish of a play.
Northwestern actually covered in its opener against Miami of Ohio, winning 13-6 as 3-point favorites—which tells you what bookmakers think of the reigning MAC champs. The Wildcats are 2.5-point home favorites Friday night against the Blue Devils, who beat FCS Elon 26-3 in the debut of Manny Diaz as head coach and Texas transfer Maalik Murphy at quarterback.
Duke vs Northwestern Odds
Duke vs Northwestern Matchup Page, Friday, 9:00 pm ET
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Totals |
---|---|---|---|
Duke Blue Devils | +2.5 | +120 | 39 |
Northwestern Wildcats | -2.5 | -140 | 39 |
Odds as of Sept. 3 at BetMGM
Duke vs Northwestern Picks -- Week 2
The Blue Devils own this battle of smart kids, having won five straight in the series—including 38-14 last season in Durham. But a lot has changed at Duke, with former coach Mike Elko now running things at Texas A&M and former quarterback Riley Leonard now at Notre Dame. This is a very different Duke team teeing it up in Evanston on Friday night.
Northwestern, meanwhile, shocked everyone in 2023 by emerging from the wreckage of the Pat Fitzgerald scandal to go 8-5 under then-interim and now full-time coach David Braun. Many of the defensive players who powered that campaign are back, and there’s also finally some steadiness behind center—thanks to dual-threat Mike Wright, who transferred from Mississippi State.
Wright passed for 178 yards and ran for 65 and a touchdown against Miami of Ohio, an excellent Group of 5 team with a potential NFL quarterback in Brett Gabbert.
The Wildcats have tailored their offense to their windy temporary confines, where they’ll play for two seasons while Ryan Field is being rebuilt. Those conditions, combined with Northwestern’s stingy defense, could pose a real challenge for a Duke team that threw the ball 40 times in Week 1.
Duke vs Northwestern Week 2 Pick: Northwestern -140
So, could this game really go UNDER the total of 39?
The Wildcats went UNDER in six of their last eight games to close last season, going UNDER 39.5 against Nebraska and UNDER 31.5 against Iowa. Neither of those were close—the Wildcats and Huskers managed just 26, the ‘Carts and Iowa just 17. Remember, Braun was the defensive coordinator under Fitzgerald. Oh, and early forecasts for Friday night in Evanston? Showers, and winds up top 20 mph.
Duke vs Northwestern Week 2 Pick: UNDER 39 (-110)
Duke vs Northwestern Prop Pick: Mike Wright Anytime TD, +120
Wright rushed for three touchdowns at Mississippi State despite seeing the field only occasionally and rumbled in from 13 yards out to cash in for Northwestern last weekend against Miami of Ohio.
First-year Wildcats OC Zach Lujan is going to put the offense in Wright’s hands, particularly if the forecast holds up and Friday is blustery and wet.