NFL Tickets
On Saturday, the Duke Blue Devils and the Pittsburgh Panthers meet in an important matchup that will help determine the fate of the ACC Coastal Division. The stakes will be high for both teams in this game if they hope to get to the ACC Championship Game in December. Both teams are in the hunt but in different positions.
The greatest pressure will rest on the Panthers’ shoulders. They already have two losses in the division, and a third with games against the Miami Hurricanes and North Carolina Tar Heels still on the schedule will all but drop them out of the race.
Pitt is coming off an ugly loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in which they turned the ball over six times, all fumbles, and got drummed 56-28. They’ll need to protect the ball on the ground because that will be their best shot at beating a Blue Devil team ranked next to last against the run in the ACC.
Duke has the target on their back, as they are the clear-cut leader of the division at this point in the season. With only one loss on the season, which was a divisional loss to Miami, they hold tiebreakers against Georgia Tech and the Virginia Cavaliers. The bulk of their ACC schedule is still ahead of them, so they don’t want to drop a very winnable road game at this point of the season.
The Panthers are a slight favorite in this game, but the Blue Devils are very capable of pulling the upset. They have the momentum and experience to make a run to the championship down the stretch. I wouldn’t expect them to fold under the pressure.
David Cutcliffe’s offense will get the job done and the turnover margin trends favor the Duke defense. The Blue Devils will get a big win on the road and bury Pitt in the division.
Final score: Duke 34, Pitt 27
Share 
