Every season in college football, a dark horse team or two emerges to create some havoc in the top 25. The question now is how long we, as bettors and football fans, should wait until we declare a team to be a legitimate dark horse threat. I think that we are at that point now, as 4 games are certainly plenty of time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of every single team in the top 25. At the start of this season, much of the talk was about the Virginia Tech Hokies, but after their performance in Week 4, they are now officially out of the conversation.
The same cannot be said for the surprising Duke Blue Devils, who now have an opportunity to take another step up the national rankings with another win this weekend. This is the first time that Duke has cracked the top 25 in 3 years, but the question now is whether they can stay there. They are in as a 4 ½-point home favorite for this one, with the point total set at 50 ½.
Virginia Tech vs Duke College Football Week 5 Betting Preview
📽 study@qharris18 breaks down 3️⃣ plays from his performance at Baylor pic.twitter.com/9eSsgnUpl7
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) 27 de septiembre de 2018
- When: Saturday, September 29, 7 PM EST
- Where: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham
- TV: ESPN2
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- College Football Week 5 Betting Odds: Duke -4.5 (Total 50)
Iowa State at TCU NCAA Football Week 5 Odds & Game Preview
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 23°C/74°F
- Humidity: 73%
- Precipitation: 3%
- Cloud Cover: 57%
- Wind: 3 mph NE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Virginia Tech Hokies?
The Hokies came out of the gate strong, taking out the Florida State Seminoles in Week 1 and following that up with another big win over William and Mary. Weather forced them to sit out Week 3 and it appears that the break killed all of their momentum, as they looked rusty and unprepared in a stunning 49-35 loss to Old Dominion last week, a game that they started as a 28-point favorite.To make matters even worse for the Hokies, they lost starting QB Josh Jackson to injury in that one, putting the rest of their season in some serious doubt. The Hokies had covered the spread in the opening 2 weeks, but are now 2-1 ATS, as well as being just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games. They have dominated Duke in recent years, going 12-2 SU against them in the last 14 meetings.
Why bet on the Duke Blue Devils?
Duke has been one of the more pleasant surprises this season, going 4-0 through the first month of the season, which included winning a pair of games that they entered as an underdog. The Blue Devils are getting the job done on both sides of the football, averaging over 37 PPG while surrendering less than 16 PPG through the first 4 weeks. The Blue Devils have been a fantastic bet ATS, going 6-1 in their last 7 games overall.
They are also great in home games, going 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games on their home field. They have won 4 of their last 5 games at home, so again, another good bet there. When looking at the point total, you need to consider the UNDER, with 4 of the last 5 games against Virginia Tech going that way.
Latest Virginia Tech vs Duke College Football Week 5 Betting Trends
- Virginia Tech is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Virginia Tech is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Virginia Tech’s last 13 games
- Duke is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
- Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke’s last 5 games
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
I am a little concerned as to how Virginia Tech is going to react to losing to a lesser opponent and losing their QB in the same game. That has me leaning in the direction of the Blue Devils, who I like to win and cover.Score: Virginia Tech Hokies 23 – Duke Blue Devils 28
