This needs to get a lot more attention.
The winner, who is 6-1, is in a strong position to make the ACC Championship and maybe even get into the College Football Playoff as an at-large team.
SMU has been having a great time since their much-much-better-than-it-looks-now 18-15 loss to BYU. The defense is strong and the offense is great, and they have won four straight games, which is great.
Beginning next week with Pitt, three of the next four games will be at home.
Duke has also been quietly great. While it may not have as strong of an offense as SMU, this defense is very strong. Even though it lost to Georgia Tech, it came back to beat Florida State. However, it now has to play three road games in a row, starting with Miami.
SMU vs Duke Preview
SMU vs Duke How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
Venue: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
How to Watch: ACC Network
Duke (6-1), SMU (6-1)
Why SMU Will Win
The team is doing everything right, and it starts with the turnover margin.
The D has come up with 17 takeaways – all in the last six games – and the offense has been stingy at giving it away outside of the three turnovers last week against Stanford and in the loss to BYU.
The offense is balanced, the passing game efficient, and on both sides the team attacks, attacks, attacks.
Duke doesn’t have a turnover problem, either, and the defense has been amazing, but the offense doesn’t do too much. It doesn’t come up with a ton of first downs, there isn’t much of a downfield passing game, and if it gets down fast, there’s a problem. But …
Why Duke Will Win
The defense is strong.
It has the most tackles for loss in the country and one of the most sacks. Duke’s defense stops points better than any other team in the ACC. On third downs, they make it impossible to score.
The team is not very good at keeping the ball, but it does not seem to matter. The defense has been strong the whole game and kept the scores low. The offense, which does not do much, usually comes through late.
In four of the last six games, the defense has picked off more than one pass. If they can do that again and keep the score low, this could be another BYU for the Mustangs.
SMU vs Duke: Who Will Win
Raise your hand if you do not believe in SMU and think that THIS is the week when things will get real. Then watch how good this group really is.
It will have to fight, though. They will have to work hard in the second half to get a strong win in Durham, but Duke’s defense is the worst they have seen all season.
SMU vs Duke Prediction, Betting Lines
SMU 27, Duke 16
Line: SMU -11.5, o/u: 48.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
SMU vs Duke Must See Rating: 4
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