This week, we’ve got a Saturday night showdown in the South with UConn vs Duke. The Duke Blue Devils host the Connecticut Huskies at Wallace Wade Stadium. Undefeated so far this season, Duke is coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory last weekend against the Northwestern Wildcats. Meanwhile, UConn is sitting at 1-1 after cruising to a 63-14 win over the Merrimack Warriors, an FCS team, last Saturday.
It was a rough start to the season for the Huskies, who opened the year with a 50-7 loss to the Maryland Terrapins. A few days later, it was revealed that the school was no longer in contention to join the Big 12 Conference, after talks with conference officials stalled. However, things took a brighter turn in Week 2, when Huskies quarterback Joe Fagnano put on an impressive show against Merrimack, throwing for five touchdowns (and running for another) in the matchup. He got some help from his offensive line, who have yet to give up a sack this season.
With that said, Fagnano’s offense faces a tough task against Duke’s defense, which has been dominant in its first two games. With first-year head coach (and former Penn State defensive coordinator) Manny Diaz at the helm, the Blue Devils lead the country in tackles for losses. They also notched up eight sacks in their Week 1 win against the Elon Phoenix, an FCS opponent, putting them in the top 10 in the nation for sacks.
Duke’s offense can’t be overlooked, either. In the game against Northwestern, quarterback Maalik Murphy threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns — two of which came in OT — to lead the Blue Devils to victory over the Wildcats. The week before, he racked up 291 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Elon.
With a promising start on both offense and defense, it’s no surprise, then, that Duke is heavily favored (more on that later) in this weekend’s clash with UConn. If you’re planning to watch or bet on the game, here’s what you need to know.
How to watch UConn vs. Duke
- Date: Saturday, September 14
- Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
- Streaming: ESPN Plus
Huskies vs. Blue Devils predictions
We’ll keep it simple: Duke is the big favorite in this game. According to ESPN Analytics, the Blue Devils currently have an 81.4% shot at victory against the Huskies. As of Tuesday, Duke is favored by 16.5 over UConn, with the over/under set at 47.5.
Thinking about betting on the game? Here are a few stats and trends to keep in mind:
- Each team has played two games this season — and all four of them have gone over the point total.
- So far this season, UConn has one win against the spread.
- Duke has covered the spread in both of its games.
- Duke and UConn last met in 2023, when the Blue Devils cruised to a 41-7 victory over the Huskies in East Hartford.
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