The UConn Huskies take on the Duke Blue Devils at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
Duke enters this Week 3 contest as a -17 favorite on the spread, while the total sits at 47.5.
So, where's the betting value here? Let's dive into my UConn vs Duke prediction for Saturday's Week 3 college football matchup below.
UConn vs Duke Pick
Prediction: Duke -17
My UConn-Duke best bet is on Duke to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at ESPN BET, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
UConn vs Duke Odds
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+16.5 -110 | 46.5 -115o / -105u | +550 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-16.5 -110 | 46.5 -115o / -105u | -800 |
- Point Spread: UConn +16.5 · Duke -16.5
- Total: Over/Under 46.5 Points
- Moneyline: UConn ML +550 · Duke -800
UConn Huskies vs Duke Blue Devils Preview
Connecticut Huskies Betting Preview
It has been a tale of two games through two weeks for UConn football this season.
The Huskies opened the year with a total disaster of a loss, falling by a score of 50-7 to Maryland on the road. They bounced back as good as they could have in Week 2, however, with a 63-17 win at home over Merrimack.
The play of their senior quarterback, Joe Fagnano, was the biggest reason for the turnaround, as he was absolutely brilliant in the blowout win, finishing with 328 yards passing (on just 13 completions) for five touchdowns through the air. He even added a rushing touchdown for good measure. Fagnano finished with a Passer Rating of 300.3 in the Merrimack win.
His big play ability will give UConn fans hope here, as Fagnano has clearly demonstrated the ability to generate huge moments. And he will need to take matters into his own hands in this one, as the UConn rushing attack leaves much to be desired.
The team ran the ball 30 times in its loss to Maryland, totaling just 88 yards for a miserable 2.9 yards per carry.
One interesting note on the UConn offense through two games is it has yet to allow a sack. That is likely to change Saturday, as the Duke defensive front is formidable and is one of the best in the country at forcing negative plays.
Given how much UConn struggled with Maryland, there is fair cause for concern here against a talented Duke team.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
On the other side, Duke enters this game feeling fortunate to hold a 2-0 record. The Blue Devils needed double overtime to steal a road win at Northwestern last Friday night, and it was a sloppy performance all around from Manny Diaz's team.
Duke committed nine penalties in the game, and they also made numerous special teams errors, including a blocked punt and a lost fumble on a punt return. Diaz praised his team's resiliency in the win, and it reasons to believe that with an extra day of prep, we will see a cleaned-up version of this Blue Devils team against UConn.
The Duke defense has been its biggest asset thus far, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses and blowing up plays in the backfield. Duke leads the entire country in tackles for loss (27) and is sixth in the nation in sacks (8).
Duke was great at stopping the pass in both of its wins, allowing just 134 passing yards per game. UConn's big-play ability on offense will be tested.
Offensively, Duke has the talent to create some separation here. Texas transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy was great in the overtime periods, finishing with 243 yards passing along with three touchdowns to one interception.
At running back, Jaquez Moore is questionable for this game. He split carries in their first win with Star Thomas, who had 17 carries against Northwestern and totaled 58 yards on the ground. He will likely get a heavy workload in this game for the Blue Devils.
UConn vs Duke Prediction
Duke's ability to force negative plays from opposing offenses should be the story here. UConn relies on big plays, but those are hard to come by when the offense is facing second- and third-and-longs.
Murphy has been more consistent than Fagnano, and the balanced Duke attack should be able to replicate similar to results to Maryland's 50-point outing in its blowout win against UConn back in Week 1.
Take the Blue Devils to cover.
Pick: Duke -17
How to Watch UConn vs Duke
| Location: | Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, North Carolina |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 6 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ACCNx |
Duke vs Connecticut Betting Trends
- 78% of the bets and 46% of the money are on UConn to cover the UConn vs. Duke point spread.
- 22% of the bets and 54% of the money are on the Over.
Betting trends data courtesy of our live NCAAF Public Betting & Money Percentages page.
UConn-Duke Weather
