The Duke Blue Devils and Charlotte 49ers will meet Friday in the season opener at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Duke vs. Charlotte odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Blue Devils had a rather forgettable COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, winning just two of its 11 games, while failing to cover the final four outings. One of those wins, and its most recent cover, came against Charlotte, a 53-19 treat on Halloween.
The 49ers actually have a pretty experienced roster, and things are looking up. QB Chris Reynolds is pretty special, and WR Victor Tucker leads an experienced and deep corps. The biggest issue is the run game, where there isn’t much experience. The D allowed 32.5 PPG and 6.6 yards per play, so that needs tremendous improvement.
Duke at Charlotte odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:55 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Duke -240 (bet $240 to win $100) | Charlotte +190 (bet $100 to win $190)
- Against the spread (ATS): Duke -6.5 (-110) | Charlotte +6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 60.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Duke at Charlotte odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Charlotte 34, Duke 30
Money line
CHARLOTTE (+190) kicks off its 2021 season with a lot of hope of getting back to the postseason after a down year in the COVID-shortened campaign last season. If the 49ers want to turn some heads early, they’ll need to get by a Power 5 team like Duke (-240), albeit one of the lower-echelon teams from the ACC.
It isn’t a shot in the dark, however. The 49ers have a legit offense, especially in the pass game. With a chance to double up, Charlotte is the value play.
Against the spread
The best play is CHARLOTTE +6.5 (-110) with the points, and I’d feel even better if it was a flat seven or seven and a hook.
The 49ers have the offensive weapons to hang with Duke -6.5 (-110), who failed to cover its final four last season while allowing 48 or more points in each of the outings. Charlotte should be able to move the ball well on its home field.
Over/Under
The lean is to the OVER 60.5 (-108) as the 49ers should be able to score their fair share, even though the Blue Devils offense is in disarray. The Duke defense is worse, as they lost five of its best players from a unit that coughed up 38.1 PPG. This game is not going to end well for Duke or Under bettors.
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