Duke and Middle Tennessee State try to Break out of Pack
The Duke Blue Devils will be traveling to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday. These two teams have had a similar road so far this season and will likely be evenly matched for this game.
Week 3 of college football is here, and we have all the coverage for all the best betting picks.
Our season so far in 2019 has brought us most of what we expected but also some unexpected surprises along the way.
The two teams we will be covering in this article are about as middle of the pack as they get, so it is important to pick out the strengths and weaknesses in the matchup.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Facebook Live. LINE: Duke -6.5; O/U: 51
Duke and Middle Tennessee Have Had Similar Paths
In their first game of the season, the Blue Devils took on the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide. This was a matchup that was a surefire loss for the Blue Devils, and Alabama ran all over them, winning the game 42-3.
In week 2, Duke had a home matchup against the North Carolina A&T Aggies. Duke really took care of business in this game from the start. They were locked in as a team, scoring 28 points in the first half.
Quarterback Quentin Harris finished the contest with a career-best 345 yards passing and five total touchdowns. The Blue Devils offense was clicking on all cylinders, and they were able to secure the victory at home 45-13.
Middle Tennessee faced a similar path in their first two weeks of play. In Week 1, the Blue Raiders traveled up to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines.
The Blue Raiders actually scored the first touchdown in this game but fell behind in the first half. They cut into their deficit and brought the game back within reach 24-14.
By the end of the game, Michigan was able to find its mojo and win the game at a final score of 40-21. Even with a loss like that, the Blue Raiders looked impressive in the contest.
In Week 2, Middle Tennessee had its home opener against the Tennessee State Tigers.
As opposed to Week 1, the Blue Raiders got off to a very slow start in the first half of the game. They took a small lead into halftime at 10-6.
The second half is where they came out and pulled out all the stops. The third quarter went back and forth for four touchdowns, but ultimately in the fourth quarter, Middle Tennessee scored three more touchdowns to seal the game.
They won the contest 45-26, and Asher O’Hara finished the game with 367 yards passing and four passing touchdowns.
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This, that and the college football dart throw
This matchup has two electrifying offenses going toe-to-toe with each other. The Blue Devils and the Blue Raiders turned up the heat in their second games of the season, each scoring over 40 points.
With the game against Alabama in Week 1, Duke’s offensive stats are skewed from what they should really be. I like the Blue Devils’ offense this year, and I like them to make it into bowl season.
With Middle Tennessee being a non-power conference team, I think they might struggle a bit in this game. They do get home-field advantage, but the Blue Devils are going to be hungry. Duke is favored at -6.5 on the road.
If Middle Tennessee has a similar start like it did against Tennessee State, it is going to be in for a world of trouble on Saturday.
Keep your eyes on O’Hara in the run game for the Blue Raiders. He is a dynamic quarterback and could potentially propel his team to victory with his legs.
The Dart throw
I’m taking the Blue Devils as the road favorite at -6.5.
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