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The Virginia Cavaliers are 6-0 against the Duke Blue Devils since November of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Virginia and Duke will face off in an ACC battle at 12:30 p.m. ET at David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. These two teams might be coming in a bit winded after having run the length of the field multiple times in their most recent games.
Last week, the Cavaliers won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Louisville Cardinals 34-33. The win came about thanks to a strong surge after the third quarter to overcome a 30-13 deficit. Virginia got their victory on the backs of several key players, and it was QB Keytaon Thompson out in front punching in one rushing touchdown in addition to catching ten passes for 132 yards. That receiving effort made it the first game that Thompson has posted more than 100 yards receiving.
Meanwhile, Duke entered their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last week without any home losses -- but there's a first time for everything. Duke was within a late touchdown of stealing the victory, but they took the "L" against Georgia Tech 31-27. The Blue Devils' defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of RB Mataeo Durant, who rushed for one TD and 152 yards on 43 carries, and QB Gunnar Holmberg, who passed for two TDs and 292 yards on 29 attempts in addition to picking up 30 yards on the ground. Holmberg hadn't helped his team much against the North Carolina Tar Heels two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
The Cavaliers are the favorite in this one, with an expected 10.5-point margin of victory. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
Virginia's victory brought them up to 4-2 while Duke's loss pulled them down to 3-3. A couple defensive stats to keep an eye on: Virginia is stumbling into the matchup with the 210th most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 11 on the season. The Blue Devils have experienced some passing struggles of their own as they are 228th worst in the nation in passing touchdowns allowed, with 13 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
