{"id":25230,"date":"2023-12-22T21:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-23T02:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=25230"},"modified":"2023-12-20T14:28:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T19:28:53","slug":"birmingham-bowl-predictions-duke-vs-troy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/college-football-bowl-games\/birmingham-bowl-predictions-duke-vs-troy\/","title":{"rendered":"Birmingham Bowl Predictions : Duke vs Troy Free Picks, Best Bets 12\/23"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Duke Blue Devils vs Troy Trojans Best Bets: Birmingham Bowl Preview & Prediction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Football content contributor Ron Marmalefsky<\/a>\u00a0offers up a devilish take on The Birmingham Bowl<\/strong> being played on December 23rd, between Duke and Troy<\/strong>. What are his takeaways (not Helen, don’t take Helen!) and things to watch when considering betting? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duke played solid football all season long despite suffering some critical injuries and some pretty spectacular collapses (see Notre Dame 4th and 16…).\u00a0 Mike Elko built this team the right way, but now he\u2019s gone, taking the job at Texas A&M where he once was their defensive coordinator.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Troy had two monster seasons under Jon Sumrall.\u00a0 They play outstanding defense, and improved greatly on offense as well.\u00a0 Now Sumrall is gone, as he heads to Tulane, a place where he once was an assistant coach (defense).\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would have loved to see this matchup take place with both coaches intact, as it would have been an outstanding chess match.\u00a0 This bowl game will not have that same intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find free college football best bets<\/a> and bowl game coverage<\/a> this postseason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Birmingham Bowl Predictions and Best Bets: Duke Overview <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elko made his mark defensively before becoming a Head Coach, and it showed to the tune of drastic improvement in 2022.\u00a0 I expected slight regression this year, but the run defense delivered another strong outcome (4.05-148).\u00a0 Teams weren\u2019t completely stopped, but were slowed down.\u00a0 Troy has an outstanding running back, so that\u2019s challenge #1.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duke\u2019s pass defensive #\u2019s did regress, to nearly 63% allowed, and with just nine defensive interceptions.\u00a0 Troy has an experienced QB, so there will be some damage done here as well.\u00a0 Now for the portal news.\u00a0 Four players who contributed significantly on defense are likely out for the game, and that list includes their top two sackers.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offensively, Duke put up strong numbers even when their prized QB (Leonard) was lost for the season.\u00a0 They scored 20 or more points in five of their final six games, three of which were tossup games (1-2 result).\u00a0 Grayson Loftis (53.7%, 8-3 ratio) is the starter.\u00a0 The freshman will likely struggle in this game.\u00a0 It looks like Duke\u2019s top RB is out of this game, but Jaquez Moore (601-5.9) entered and withdrew his name from the portal.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019ll team with stout WR Jordan Moore to give Duke some hope in maintaining a rhythm offensively.\u00a0 Duke averaged 5.1 per carry this season, but I expect some regression in this spot.\u00a0 Duke\u2019s 3rd<\/sup> down conversion rate was a bit low.\u00a0 The OL allowed just 15 sacks.\u00a0 Kicking was solid.\u00a0 The Blue Devils have a really good punter.\u00a0 The top kick returners are gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the The Birmingham Bowl Video Picks Too!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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