Alabama Duke Betting – Blue Devils Swallowed Up By Rampant Crimson Tide
Whether they are online betting favorites by three points or 30, top-ranked Alabama plays every opponent the same way and with the same intensity. Duke is about to find that out when they welcome the Crimson Tide to town on Saturday, and while the Blue Devils have gotten off to a solid start this year, the Crimson Tide are going to roll over Duke on both sides of the ball.
- What: NCAA football betting
- When: Saturday, September 18th, 3:30 PM ET
- Where: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
- Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide -24
What’s On The Line
The No.1 Crimson Tide (2-0) rolled to a 24-3 win at home over then-No.18 Penn State, extending their winning streak to 16 games and they’re now 35-8 under coach Nick Saban since 2007. The Blue Devils, more known for their hoops program, lost a 54-48 shootout at Wake Forest and are looking for their first-ever win over a No.1 team in their 11th try.
Offensive Matchups: Alabama Duke Betting
The Alabama offense has been efficient in their first two games of the season, and this is all without Heisman winner Mark Ingram, who may be in the midst of getting his starting spot taken by Trent Richardson, who ran for 144 yards and a score against Penn State. Greg McElroy has been on point under center, and Ingram is going to be back this week. The defense is great, as always, but the offense may very well be the reason that Alabama retains their national title.
The Blue Devils’ offense has exploded this season, averaging 44.5 points in their first two games, and they racked up 487 yards at Wake Forest. Quarterback Sean Renfree has been on fire to start the season, while fellow sophomore Desmond Scott has added a threat on the ground. However, we’re skeptical because Duke put up their points and yards on Elon and Wake Forest: this is Alabama, and it’s not going to be that easy.
Betting Edge: Alabama
Defensive Matchups: Alabama Duke BettingM
It’s a Nick Saban team….what did you expect? Even with two starters back, the Crimson Tide have one of the top defenses in the country, allowing six points through the first two games of the season. Like the offense, they were doing it without one of their best players, and end Marcell Dureus is back in the lineup, making the Crimson Tide even more fearful. It doesn’t matter if they’re at home or on the road, Alabama’s defense stands up against pretty much anyone in the country.
Duke’s defense was, well, dreadful against Wake Forest, allowing 500 yards, and they also gave up 27 points and 406 yards against Elon. The line is led by end Justin Foxx, but he’s going to have his hands full against a physical Alabama line on the other side of the ball. The secondary is going to have a tough time dealing with Alabama’s big receivers, and the linebackers may have to fight through more blocks than usual to get to the Crimson Tide running backs.
Betting Edge: Alabama
Notable Injuries: Alabama Duke Betting
Linebacker Chris Jordan (shoulder) and offensive tackle James Carpenter (ankle) are questionable for the Crimson Tide.
Duke comes into this game with a clean bill of health.
Betting Edge: Duke
Outlook and Pick: Alabama Duke Betting
The Crimson Tide come into this game with a massive 24-point NCAA football betting spread over the Blue Devils, and these two last met in 2006, when Alabama rolled to a 30-14 win at home. The Blue Devils are going to need some breaks to go their way because they don’t have the depth or talent to hang with the Crimson Tide. Alabama knows that Duke may jump out to a good start, but they also have the poise to ride it out, and then take over the game. The Duke defense is awful and won’t be able to stop Richardson or Ingram. Duke will find that the defenses they faced are nowhere close to Alabama, who should roll to an easy sports betting win.
Blake’s Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide -24
