Facing a depleted Blue Devils squad on Saturday, are the Trojans the right side of today’s Troy vs. Duke matchup? The 76 Birmingham Bowl will kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
222 Troy Trojans (-7.5) vs. 221 Duke Blue Devils (+7.5); o/u 44.5
12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 23, 2023
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
TV: ABC/ESPN+
Troy vs. Duke Public Betting Information
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 65% of bets are on Duke. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Troy Trojans Game Notes
Gunnar Watson completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and one interception during Saturday’s 35-17 win versus Southern Miss.
Watson fell just shy of his first 300-yard outing since Week 9, and he snapped a six-game streak without an interception. He’ll finish the regular season with the fifth most passing yards in the Sun Belt (3,147) and the third most touchdowns (26). He’ll lead the Trojans into the Sun Belt Championship game against Appalachian State on Dec. 2 at home.
Duke Blue Devils Game Notes
Grayson Loftis was 20-for-37 passing for 248 yards, two touchdowns and one interception during Saturday’s 30-19 win against Pittsburgh.
The freshman quarterback threw his fourth passing touchdown pass after connecting with Jalon Calhoun on a 15-yard pass. Loftis has gotten four starts while filling in for Riley Leonard (ankle), completing 54.3 percent of his passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns (three interceptions).
Troy vs. Duke Betting Trends
The Trojans are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
Troy is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Duke’s last 6 games
Duke is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
Troy vs. Duke Betting Prediction
Take Troy. I realize the Trojans are stepping up in class today, but Troy is Sun Belt Conference champs and entered bowl season ranked sixth nationally in sacks. The Trojans are also 15th in total defense and don’t have to worry about facing QB Riley Leonard, who left Duke’s program to play at Notre Dame next season. The Blue Devils will also be without defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles and defensive end RJ Oben, who entered the transfer portal. Peebles was an All-ACC selection who led the team with 8.5 sacks. That’s a lot of talent that Duke won’t have for this game and I’m banking on Troy taking advantage of a depleted Blue Devils squad.
Troy vs. Duke Prediction: TROY TROJANS -7.5