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Duke (3-2) travels to Cal (4-1) for an important conference clash late on Saturday night. College football’s massive realignment still takes some getting used to.
Back in the day, say, two years ago, college football die-hards and bettors loved nothing more than some “Pac-12 After Dark.”
More often than not, things would get funky as lights went out on the East Coast, whether in Tempe, Pullman, or Berkley.
But the new era of college football quashed the Pac-12, and took with it some of the magic of these nightcaps.
Saturday’s showdown between Duke and Cal, an ACC showdown with some pretty high stakes, has every chance of restoring some of the sorcery we’ve been missing since the Pac-12 went the way of the dodo.
Duke vs. Cal odds, prediction
On paper, this one looks like it could be a shootout. Duke’s offense has emerged as one of the best in the country, averaging 453 yards and 32.3 points per game.
Quarterback Darian Mensah, who made headlines when it came out that he would be making $8 million in NIL money by transferring from Tulane to Duke, has been as advertised, but he’ll need to be sharp because he isn’t the only high-ceiling QB in this matchup.
Cal is off to a feel-good start at 4-1, and the Golden Bears may have a gem under center in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The freshman has a mistake in him, but he’s also shown to be a potential game-winner through his first five starts in Berkeley.
Darian Mensah of Duke scrambling. Mark Konezny-Imagn ImagesBetting on College Football?
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What’s most impressive about Sagapolutele is how he rebounded from a brutal outing against San Diego State in Week 4 with a workman-like effort on the road in a win against Boston College the following weekend.
He’s got room to grow, but when he’s on, he can light up defenses.
Sagapolutele should be brimming with confidence in this matchup, as Duke travels across the country with a defense that has really struggled to stop the pass. The Blue Devils rank 125th in opponent completion percentage and 116th in yards per pass allowed.
Cal is live at home in this Week 6 nightcap.
The Play: Cal +3 (-110, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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