The No. 9 Clemson Tigers face the Duke Blue Devils to kick off ACC play on Monday, September 4. The teams will face off in Durham, and Clemson enters as a 13-point favorite. The last time these two teams played, it was 2018, and Clemson bulldozed them 35-6 on their way to the College Football Playoff.
That was a different time, of course, for both teams. The Tigers bring an untested QB in Cade Klubnik to the field after struggling with DJ Uiagalalei at the helm in 2022. Mike Elko’s Blue Devils went 9-4 last season, their best record since 2014. Clemson still went on to win the ACC Championship last season, though they fell to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl, and Duke ended their season with big wins over Wake Forest and UCF.
The 13-point spread — not quite two touchdowns — will likely be viewed as a personal affront in the Clemson locker room. This is a team used to dominating the ACC, but things are looking different this season.
Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup and a pick for the game.
SP+ Rankings
Clemson: 7 overall, 14 offense, 8 defense
Duke: 50 overall, 45 offense, 54 defense
Injury update
Clemson
DL Vic Burley – Questionable (lower body)
QB Hunter Helms – Questionable (foot)
Duke
WR Eli Pancol – Out (lower body)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2022
Clemson: 7-7 ATS
Duke: 9-4 ATS
Total in 2022
Clemson: Over 7-7
Duke: Over 5-7-1
Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Clemson -13
Total: 55.5
Moneyline: Clemson -500, Duke +380
Weather
93°F, Sunny, 0% chance of precipitation, 4 MPH winds
The Pick
Clemson -13
I like this Duke team. They covered plenty of spreads last year and pulled off some unexpected wins. But I don’t see them hanging for all four quarters with Clemson here. The Tigers’ Klubnik, a five-star recruit, has now had an entire offseason to prepare rather than just being thrown in at a moment’s notice. Clemson also grabbed TCU’s offensive coordinator in the offseason, which should help solve some of last year’s woes. The Tigers are going to be hungry to prove that they should be back on top this year, and I think that they should be able to pull away in the late third or fourth quarter to win by two TDs.