Your defending ACC Champion Duke Blue Devils will face off against Tulane in just a few short hours to kick off the 2026 season.
Duke has a lot to prove to open the season, with many doubting that Manny Diaz's team will be in the upper echelon of the ACC. That lack of optimism revolves around Darian Mensah's stunning transfer to Miami, but it's time to fully put that in the past.
It's Walker Eget's show now. The San Jose State transfer beat out sophomore Dan Mahan for the starting gig, and he'll make his Duke debut this afternoon.
But Duke has a new offensive philosophy in 2026. The offense won't be QB-reliant. It's all about running the ball. Led by prolific sophomore Nate Sheppard, who took the world by storm as an under-recruited freshman, is back and has plenty of motivation heading into year two.
Duke's veteran offensive line should be one of the strengths of the team, and the offense should remain pretty good as a result.
The question for Duke will be whether Diaz has done enough to fix a beleaguered defense that took a massive step back in 2025. Tulane will provide the perfect opening test.
Duke traveled to New Orleans last year and suffered a frustrating defeat to the Green Wave. These are two very different-looking teams from the ones that met up a year ago.
Betting odds for Duke vs. Tulane in the 2026 season opener
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6am ET on Saturday.
Spread: Duke -7.5
Over/Under: 51.5
Moneyline: Duke -310/Tulane +245
Final prediction
Week 1 contests are always difficult to prognosticate on, especially in this era of college football where there's just so much roster turnover year over year now. Both of these teams will look wildly different from the two we saw in New Orleans last year. To boot, Tulane has a whole new coaching staff after Jon Sumrall parlayed his success there into the Florida head job.
Odds are good that Tulane will take a step back from the College Football Playoff team they were a season ago. Duke should have an advantage in the trenches, and Sheppard should find quick success on the ground.
But I also think that Eget will prove that he's more than just a game manager, too. He's got some talent, and Duke will surround him with the best supporting cast he's ever had at his disposal during his college career.
This won't be a blowout, but Duke earns a Week 1 win at home.
Pick: Duke 27, Tulane 14
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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