Clemson vs. Duke Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
Clemson and Duke battle it out on Monday night to end College Football Week 1. Which team has the advantage? Matt McCuen shares his Clemson vs. Duke prediction, pick against the spread, and the latest odds.
Matt McCuen - September 4, 2023, 9:00 AM EDT
7 minClemson vs. Duke Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
On Monday night, the Clemson Tigers and the Duke Blue Devils will clash from Durham, North Carolina, for an ACC affair.
Clemson vs. Duke Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 4, 2023
- Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN
Clemson vs. Duke Prediction
Clemson will enter the season ranked ninth in the nation. The Tigers have been one of the best teams in college football over the last decade. The Tigers have won at least ten games in twelve consecutive seasons. All of those seasons have been under head coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers have won two national championships during that span (2016, 2018). Overall, Clemson has reached four National Championships in the last 12 years.
Needless to say, the expectations are once again high in Death Valley. Clemson missed out on the playoffs last season, ending the year with an overall record of 11-3 as they lost their final game of the season in the Orange Bowl.
Dabo Swinney has been one of the best coaches in college football over the last decade. Swinney began coaching in 1993 as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama. Swinney would become the wide receiver coach at Alabama in 1998 before moving on to Clemson to take over the same role in 2003. Swinney would take over as the interim head coach in 2008 before being hired as head coach in 2009. Swinney has a record of 161-39 at Clemson, paired with two National Championships, winning AP Head Coach of the Year in 2015.
Cade Klubnick will begin the year at the helm for the Tigers. Klubnick ended the year as the starter for the Tigers and, coming out of high school, drew some comparisons to former Clemson legend Trevor Lawrence. Klubnick, who is a native of Austin, Texas, was one of the most sought-after quarterbacks coming out of high school. Klubnick threw for 697 yards and two touchdowns a season ago in limited action.
Klubnick will get an opportunity to work with new offensive coordinator Garret Riley. Riley is the brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley. Riley led the TCU offense a season ago, one of the nation's best offenses. The 33-year-old OC is considered to be one of the brightest minds in college football.
Clemson will return some dynamic weapons on the offensive side of the football, most notably running back Will Shipley. Shipley led the team in rushing a season ago, rushing for 1,182 yards paired with fifteen rushing touchdowns.
Shipley will get the opportunity to run behind many familiar faces as the Tigers return four of their five offensive linemen. The Tigers added even more depth to the line and the portal, and they should be strong upfront this season.
The defense of the Tigers has enjoyed loads of success in the Dabo Swinney era. The Tigers will return eight starters on the defensive side of the football, but they did graduate four players who were voted All ACC on defense in 2022. The Tigers possess one of the more dynamic linebacker rooms in the nation, headlined by Jeramiah Trotter Jr. and Barret Carter. Trotter Jr. and Carter dominated a season ago, combining for 23.5 tackles for loss. Defense tackle Tyler Davis will look to ink his name in the history books this season. Davis has the opportunity to become the first four-time ALL-ACC defensive tackle.
The Blue Devils will look to prove that they are more than a basketball school this season. Duke had a solid campaign in 2022, ending the year with a record of 9-4. That 9-4 record is the best single-season record for the Blue Devils since 2013 when they went 10-4.
Mike Elko did an outstanding job in his first year at Duke after taking over for long-time Duke head coach David Cutcfille. Elko began his coaching career back in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Stony Brook University. He has come a long way since then, including stops in Notre Dame and, most recently, Texas A&M as a defensive coordinator. Elko brought toughness to this Duke team a season ago and feels as if this current Duke team is even better than the one that we saw in 2022.
Riley Lenoard will be the star of this Duke offense. The Junior quarterback will enter the season feeling optimistic after what we accomplished in 2022. Leonard threw for 20 touchdowns and six interceptions a season ago while helping the Duke offense average 32.8 points per game. Leonard showed he could hurt teams with his legs as well, rushing for 699 yards.
Overall, this Duke offense will bring a lot of experience, returning nine starters, including one of the best offensive linemen in college football, Graham Barton.
The team will return plenty of production at the wide receiver position, which will be key for Leonard. Duke returns their top wide receiver, Jalon Cahloun, who caught 62 passes last year, 873 yards, and four touchdowns. Jordan Moore is another wide receiver that will return to the Duke lineup. Moore caught five touchdown passes a season ago. Jordan Waters and Jaylen Coleman bring experience to the Blue Devils backfield and will lead the way for them this season.
Duke was much better on defense than in previous years, allowing opponents 22.1 points per game. For college football, those are pretty good numbers, and led by a defensive mind as good as Elko Duke should only improve on defense.
Duke will have question marks around their secondary, most notably replacing standout safety Darius Joiner. The strength of the Blue Devils' defense will come upfront as Duke returns four of their starters on the defensive front, including DeWayne Carter.
Clemson vs. Duke Pick
13 points in a Week 1 home game is a lot to give this Duke team.
This is an experienced team that will return more than eighty percent of their starters on both sides of the ball from last year.
This was a nine-win team a season ago, and it is hard to believe that the Blue Devils will not improve with another season under their belt and more depth on their roster.
Clemson will be a solid team this year, but they will be a good fade in week one. Klubnick is a young quarterback inexperienced on the road in ACC play. I expect some mistakes from Klubnick in this game.
Pick: Duke +13 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
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