The ACC was supposed to be the most straightforward conference in the Power 4 this season. Clemson was the clear favorite. Miami was the challenger. And perhaps SMU, Louisville or Georgia Tech would be a gatecrasher.
Not even close.
The ACC Championship will feature No. 16 Virginia against Duke. The Blue Devils are just 7-5 overall this season, but won a complicated tie-breaking procedure over Miami, Pitt, Georgia Tech and SMU to get into the title game with a 6-2 record in conference play.
There is a chance that James Madison would get into the College Football Playoff over Duke in the event that the Blue Devils upset Virginia on Saturday.
Duke vs. Virginia odds, prediction
The Cavaliers defeated the Blue Devils handily three weeks ago, and I think we’ll see a similar script play out for this one.
Duke’s entire offense is built around the game-breaking talent of quarterback Darian Mensah. The former Tulane standout has the ability to carry the Blue Devils against plenty of defenses, but this is a brutal stylistic matchup for Mensah.
The Cavaliers excel at creating chaos on defense, and they should be able to keep Mensah under pressure all night, allowing their terrific secondary to capitalize on any mistakes.
This should force Duke into a Plan B, but I’m not so sure they have one.
Betting on College Football?
If you are able to contain Mensah, the Blue Devils are very ordinary. And even if Mensah does make some noise, the Cavaliers are no slouches on offense. Virginia can keep up with the Blue Devils in a shootout.
Chandler Morris isn’t putting up the prolific numbers he was at the start of the season, but he’s got this offense in a respectable bracket, ranking 26th in points per game (31.2), 45th in points per play (.418) and 67th in yards per play (5.5).
Those numbers will play against a Duke defense that ranks 99th in points allowed per game (30.5), 118th in yards per play (6.2) and 132nd in completion percentage (68.6 percent).
This one could be a rout.
The Play: Virginia -3.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
