The Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Cavaliers are facing off in a rematch of the 2025 ACC Championship Game. The game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Cavaliers are listed as 1.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 47.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and best bet for this Week 8 matchup.
UVA vs. Duke Prediction, Preview
Duke Preview
The Duke Blue Devils are coming off a tough home loss to their arch-rival UNC Tar Heels. Duke started the season 4-0 with solid non-conference wins against Illinois and Tulane. However, they have n lost back-to-back games to Georgia Tech and UNC by a combined seven points. They were thought to be a contender to grab that second spot in the ACC title game with Miami, after winning the conference last season. However, those two losses have put Duke’s season on the ropes. Duke has one of the best running backs in the country, Nate Sheppard, and quarterback Walker Eget is an NFL prospect. However, things have just not quite clicked over four quarters in ACC play for the Blue Devils’ offense so far.
UVA Preview
Virginia is in a similar spot to Duke. The Cavaliers were another team in the mix to get to the ACC Championship Game after getting there last season. Virginia got transfer quarterback Beau Pribula from Missouri during the offseason and hoped he could replicate Chandler Morris’ production from last season. Pribula has played clean football, with a 13-1 TD-INT ratio. However, he has not thrown the ball well at all in ACC play. Over the past two weeks, he is 24/41 for 250 yards and one touchdown. Pribula was not able to get anything going downfield against either defense. The lack of explosive plays in the passing game has made UVA an easy offense to defend.
UVA vs. Duke Pick, Best Bet
My best bet is on Duke +1.5. The Blue Devils have the best offensive weapon in this game with running back Nate Sheppard. Both of these offenses can struggle at times, but Sheppard is the one player between the two teams who can take over a game. Sheppard ranks sixth in the country in rushing yards so far this season. Meanwhile, UVA ranks 117th in the nation in defensive EPA/rush and 130th in defensive rushing success rate. Sheppard should be able to keep the ball moving on the ground and turn those drives into touchdowns. Earlier this season, Florida State rushed for five touchdowns in its blowout win over UVA. Duke could dominate on the ground in the same fashion on Friday night.
