Duke vs NC State - Quick Thoughts and Score Prediction

QUICK THOUGHTS 

This Saturday, Duke makes the short trip to Raleigh to face NC State, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium.  Both teams have something to prove: NC State is coming off a dominant 59–28 victory over Stanford, while Duke looks to recover after back-to-back roller-coaster losses to SMU and Miami.
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For NC State, a win at home would secure bowl eligibility and could shift the momentum in what has otherwise been a challenging season.  Preseason expectations had them ranked fourth in the ACC standings, but so far, they've struggled to meet that mark.  Meanwhile, Duke aims to get back in the win column and will be looking to thrive in what’s sure to be an exciting atmosphere at Carter-Finley Stadium.

​SCORE PREDICTION

At the time of writing, NC State is a 3.5-point favorite, with an over/under set at 51.5 points.  However, after two disappointing losses, I believe Duke will be ready for a strong comeback under head coach Manny Diaz.

Prediction:  Duke pulls off a win with a solid performance on both sides of the ball.

DUKE  34 
NC STATE  21