It has been a while since Duke has been a favorite in an ACC game. So long in fact that I’m honestly too lazy to even try to look it up but low and behold here are the Blue Devils 10 point favorites over NC State.
Duke will take the field against NC State Saturday as projected favorites for the first time this season in ACC play.
The Wolfpack have struggled in the first year of coach Dave Doeren’s tenure and head into the upcoming game with the Blue Devils riding a four-game losing streak including a loss this past week to bitter rival North Carolina. The fact that Duke is a two score favorite hasn’t settled well with State fans who are struggling to be seen as underdogs to “freaking Duke in freaking football.”
Now keep in mind Duke fans, there is no precedence for you to go around and act like the Blue Devils are the second coming of Alabama; years of futility should make you know better and you should remember what it feels like to be treated like an after thought by “superior” teams and programs. Still being favored to win for the first time in an ACC game this season is kind of news worthy.
This game is interesting due to the fact that this will be the last time these two schools will play each other for quite a while and it will be the last game at Wallace Wade until after he 2020 season.
A series that was once a rivalry has become more like a family reunion with distant relatives that you have once every 10 to 15 years. You look across the way and say those guys look familiar but I’m not entirely sure if we’ve ever met before.
David Cutcliffe said in his Sunday teleconference this past Sunday that it is impossible to not be rivals with a school that is only 25 miles away. With all due respect thought to coach Cutcliffe, it is possible when you don’t play each other once but every 25 years. Okay, maybe not that long but you get the point.
Given how the season has played out it isn’t surprising that Duke is favored, though 10 points maybe a bit much given the nature of the game. Duke leads the all-time series 40-36-5 and won the most recent meeting back in 2009.
