It has been a great weekend of college football action in Week 1, and things will wrap up with a huge matchup in the ACC on Monday night. The Clemson Tigers visit the Duke Blue Devils to begin the season, and this should be an interesting matchup.
Clemson comes into this season ranked at number 9 in the preseason poll, and the Tigers are looking to bounce back after a subpar 2022 season. The Tigers have the talent to go on and have a great season, but this will be a tough test in Week 1.
Duke is more known for its basketball program than the football team, but they have put together some big seasons in recent years. The Blue Devils will be hoping to hang around in this one and then strike at the end of the game.
It is the Clemson Tigers that are 13.0-point betting favorites in this huge ACC showdown to begin the season.
Tigers Want to Score
It wasn’t a dominant season for Clemson in 2022, but the offense really started to shine as the season wore on. Don’t be surprised to see that unit clicking on all cylinders to begin the 2023 season, as they are loaded with weapons.
Cade Klubnik will be in his first full season as starting quarterback for the Tigers, but he is on the short list of Heisman Trophy candidates. Running back Will Shipley is nearly impossible for opponents to stop, and he is going to have a big game in this one.
The Tigers’ defense has never been a question, and they are going to spend plenty of time in the backfield. Clemson has all of the talent needed to go on a big run, but they have to avoid an upset in this one.
Duke Wants to Slow Pace
Duke is not going to win this game if it’s a high-scoring affair, and they will be doing everything in their power to slow down the pace. That’s not going to be easy for Duke to get done, but look for this team to be methodical on offense.
Quarterback Riley Leonard is back for his second year as a starting quarterback, and he finished the 2022 season strong. Running the football against the strong defensive line of Clemson won’t be easy, but Duke simply can’t afford to abandon the run.
The defense for Duke does return eight starters, but they weren’t exactly a shutdown unit a season ago. As long as Duke doesn’t allow a ton of big plays, then they will give themselves a chance to be competitive.
Tigers Trounce the Blue Devils
This is a great opportunity for Duke to begin their season with a statement win, but they just aren’t in that position yet as a program. Duke has had some great seasons in recent years, but they have never been a team ready to win the ACC.
Clemson has reloaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and this is going to be a Tigers team that is good enough to win the title this season. Look for the Tigers to take this game seriously from the first series, and that’s going to lead to a dominant performance.
Bet the Clemson Tigers -13.0 as they travel to Duke on Monday night and leave with a convincing win to begin the 2023 season.
