Fresh off its most complete performance of the season a week ago - a 47-2 throttling of Boston College - Duke will look to maintain that momentum with a short trek over to Raleigh to face NC State.
Duke sits at 6-2 and has won back-to-back games. They followed up a thrilling win over Virginia with a dominant performance against BC.
As for NC State, the Wolfpack entered the season with high expectations but have disappointed. That disappointment led to the termination of head coach Dave Doeren. With an interim coach last week, NC State played one of its best games of the season in a three-touchdown win over Cal.
Anyone thinking this game will be easy is incorrect. The Wolfpack are supremely talented, and they are more than capable of knocking off the Blue Devils at home.
A tough schedule awaits the rest of the way, with three of Duke's last four games coming on the road. Diaz and company travel to Miami next week before hosting Clemson and then finishing out on the road against Wake Forest. This is a game the Blue Devils really need to win, or they could be starting 6-6 right in the face.
Betting odds for Duke vs. NC State in Week 10
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6am ET on Saturday.
Spread: Duke -4.5
Over/Under: 51.5
Moneyline: Duke -188/NC State +158
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Final Prediction:
Nate Sheppard enters the game as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, but Walker Eget's performance may prove to be even more vital. While the Wolfpack haven't been good against the run - they rank 60th in the country in rushing yards per game allowed - they've been a sieve against the pass. Opponents average 257.9 yards per game through the air against them this year, placing them at No. 114 in the country.
Eget and the Duke passing game has shown some improvement in recent weeks, and this could be another opportunity for him and the Duke receivers to connect. If they can find their stride against NC State and build some momentum, it'll give the Blue Devils a much better chance of being successful during a brutal final three regular season games.
I don't expect another 45-point blowout like last week against Boston College. This will be a tight game, but Duke will make the plays it has to eke out the win and move to 7-2.
Pick: Duke 28, NC State 23
Add us as a preferred source on Google