Vegas ACC Predictions Week 13: Louisville-Notre Dame, Florida State-Boston College, and More

Nov 15, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe (C) stands on the sidelines against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils

Line: Duke by 6

Saturday Blitz Vegas ACC Prediction: Duke Wins 31-24

Welcome to this great rivalry. It’s been a storied series, has great history and tradition, and is part of the fabric of college…football? That’s right. This Duke-UNC game is a football game that matters heavily to both teams. North Carolina needs to get to a bowl game, and Duke wants to hold onto its ACC Coastal Division lead. So who comes out of this with a victory?

Duke does, of course. The Blue Devils lost to Virginia Tech at their own game last week, by making crucial mistakes and missing a dead-center kick at the end. Their luck won’t be that bad two weeks in a row. These guys have a great defense that will keep the UNC offense in check. Meanwhile, the Duke offense, thanks to David Cutcliffe’s brilliance as a head coach, is highly efficient and good at staying on the field for a long time.

North Carolina, an offense-heavy team, can’t score if they’re not on the field. Anthony Boone, Jamison Crowder, and the rest of the Duke offense will know that and have an easier time than usual staying on the field thanks to UNC’s pathetic defense. This will still be high-scoring, or at least more than usual for Duke, because with Marquise Williams the Tar Heels will be able to score quickly at times. But Duke will have no trouble responding and coming out with the win at home.

Next: Virginia Tech-Wake Forest Prediction