Join A Top-Tier College Football Betting Site NowMilitary Bowl: UCF vs Duke Betting PreviewDate/Time: December 28, 2 p. m. ETStadium: Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial StadiumTV Coverage: ESPNOpening Military Bowl Odds: UCF -2. 5 | O/U 59. 5UCF vs Duke Betting Matchup ReportMilitary Bowl Opening OddsThe Knights opened as 2. 5-point favorites in the Military Bowl before heavy action on the Blue Devils flipped the UCF vs Duke odds to make Duke a 3-point favorite.
Should Plumlee continue to be limited by the hamstring, UCF may give freshman Thomas Castellanos some reps in certain situations as the team’s backup Mikey Keene has since transferred to Fresno State. With Plumlee less than 100 percent, expect to see a heavy dose of UCF’s running back tandem of Isaiah Bowser and RJ Harvey, who combined for more than 1, 400 yards and 19 touchdowns in the regular season. Winning the battle in the trenches will be paramount, but it's also a tough ask against a Duke rushing defense that finished the regular season 24th in the country in yards allowed per game and 18th in rush play success rate. The Blue Devils were the only team in the ACC not to allow double-digit rushing touchdowns during the regular season.
Leonard went 29-for-41 with 391 passing yards and four scoring strikes in the win over Wake Forest. Keys To Victory: UCFUCF’s defense struggled over the second half of the season, allowing 30. 7 points per game over its last seven games. With nearly a month to prepare for the Military Bowl, the Knights will likely need to show significant improvement on defense to pick up a win as a UCF vs Duke prediction in Maryland. Keys To Victory: DukeDuke enters bowl season with plenty of confidence after a strong stretch run to end the season. As long as the month off in between games doesn’t cool the Blue Devils off, their recent form on offense should position them to get the job done as a UCF vs Duke pick.
The Knights have closed as underdogs eight times since the start of the 2018 season and are 2-6 SU and 3-5 ATS in those eight games. Latest Betting Notes: DukeDuke wrapped up its regular season on a high note with a 34-31 win at home over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as a 3-point underdog. That was the Blue Devils’ second outright upset over their season-ending 4-1 SU and ATS run, with the first coming in a 45-21 road win over the Miami Hurricanes as 10-point underdogs. Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard played well in his first full season as the starting quarterback in 2021-22. Leonard compiled 2, 795 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and six interceptions while also racking up 636 rushing yards and 11 rushing majors.
UCF vs Duke Prediction, Stream, Odds and Picks Dec 28
How To Watch Duke vs. UCF in The Military Bowl
How to watch and stream Duke Barely Survives Against UCF
Watch UCF vs Duke | Stream on fuboTV (Free Trial)
Duke vs UCF live stream: Watch March Madness online, TV
UCF also will be down its No. 1 receiver on Wednesday with junior Ryan O'Keefe entering the transfer portal and committing to Boston College for next season. The Knights have capable options in the passing game with Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson who combined for 12 of the team’s 22 receiving touchdowns entering the bowl game. When Duke Has the BallThe Blue Devils offer one of the more balanced offenses in the country under offensive coordinator Kevin Johns, which ranked third in the ACC in rushing (185 ypg) and sixth in passing (236 ypg) during the regular season while also averaging just over 33 points per game. Duke hadn't averaged more than 30 points per contest in a season since 2015. First-year starting quarterback Riley Leonard spearheaded the offensive revival, completing 64 percent of his passes for nearly 2, 800 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing yards (636) and touchdowns (11).
UCF Knights at Duke Blue Devils - NCAA - TuneIn
Military Bowl Odds: UCF-Duke prediction, odds and pick
5-point underdogs. UCF opened its season with an 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS run before closing it out with a 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS record over its last three games. Senior quarterback John Rhys Plumlee had 2, 404 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season as well as 841 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores.
Duke Blue Devils - UCF Knights: Live Stream & on TV
The total has climbed up to 62. 5 points since opening at 59. 5 points. The OVER is 6-1 in Duke’s last seven games played in December. Get the best Military Bowl odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night. Best Spread Best Moneyline Best Total Latest Betting Notes: UCFThe Knights earned a spot in the AAC championship game with a 6-2 SU record in conference play, but they fell short of a conference title with a 45-28 loss to the Tulane Green Wave as 3.
Military Bowl Picks & Odds: Duke Hopes To Stay Hot With Win Over UCFThe Duke Blue Devils (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS) are 4-1 SU and ATS over their last five games heading into the Military Bowl against the UCF Knights (9-4, 7-6) on December 28. The Blue Devils will look to end their season on a high note with a win as a bowl game favorite in Annapolis, Maryland.
The big question for Wednesday is how healthy will Malzahn's QB1 be heading into this matchup with the Blue Devils. Military Bowl Presented by Peraton: UCF (9-4) vs. Duke (8-4)Kickoff: Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 2 p. m. ETWhere: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Md. ) TV: ESPNLive Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)Spread: Duke -3Tickets: As low as $31 on SITickets. com*When UCF Has the BallAs we hinted above, the outcome of this game could come down to the health status of John Rhys Plumlee who dealt with a hamstring injury that hampered his play severely down the stretch. A dynamic athlete that led UCF in rushing during the regular season with 841 yards, Plumlee was limited to minus-seven yards (on nine carries) in the AAC Conference Championship Game loss to Tulane and averaged just 6. 3 rushing attempts over the final three weeks – this after 14 per in the nine games prior.
Despite Elko being a defensive-minded coach, it was the Duke offense that carried the team for much of the year, averaging 33. 1 points and 421 yards per game, both of which put the Blue Devils inside the top 50 nationally. Duke closed the season with wins in four of its last five games. As for the Knights (9-4), it was a whirlwind second half of the year that included several impressive wins and mind-boggling losses, notably a 38-31 win over eventual conference champions Tulane (Green Wave won the rematch in the title game), followed by a dismal 17-14 defeat to a four-win Navy team. As expected, the offense has been sensational under head coach Gus Malzahn and quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. UCF enters this game ranked 10th in the nation with 481 yards of offense per game.
Military Bowl Prediction: Surprising Duke Battles UCF in AnnapolisA potentially limited John Rhys Plumlee could affect the outcome of the first-ever meeting between the Knights and Blue Devils. The Military Bowl Presented by Peraton is back in our lives after a two-year hiatus, pitting together two high-octane offenses with the UCF Knights taking on the upstart Duke Blue Devils. Related: College Football Predictions for Every 2022-23 Bowl GameWhat a season for the Blue Devils under first-year head coach Mike Elko as Duke posted its first winning record (8-4) since 2018.
Duke vs. UCF: How to watch the Military Bowl online, live
LIVE: UCF Faces #1 Duke in NCAA Tournament Second Round