CFB bad line of the week: Hangover looming for Duke
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We started off on the right foot in choosing our first-ever bad line of the week, with the Miami Hurricanes covering as 14-point favorites over the UAB Blazers. Can we make it two straight correct picks in a row?
Here's the full list of betting lines for college football's Week 3 slate, including which spread we think is way off.
Week 3 spreads
| Matchup | Spread |
|---|---|
| Syracuse at Pittsburgh | Pitt -22 |
| Liberty at Western Kentucky | WKU -14 |
| Houston at Baylor | Baylor -7.5 |
| Navy at Tulane | Tulane -7.5 |
| UL Lafayette at Georgia State | ULL -17 |
| Boston College at Duke | Duke -5.5 |
| Tulsa at Oklahoma State | OSU -22 |
| Appalachian State at Marshall | App State -4 |
| South Florida at Notre Dame | ND -26 |
| Florida Atlantic at Georgia Southern | FAU -5.5 |
| Central Florida at Georgia Tech | GT -7.5 |
| Charlotte at North Carolina | UNC -27.5 |
| Troy at Middle Tennessee State | Troy -3.5 |
| SMU at North Texas | SMU -14 |
| Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss | USM -5.5 |
| Louisville at Miami | Miami -2.5 |
| Texas State at UL Monroe | Texas State -5.5 |
| Wake Forest at NC State | NC State -2.5 |
Bad line of the week - Duke -5.5 (vs. Boston College)
Last week, I thought the favorite was short by a couple of points. In this instance, the team laying points is a shade overpriced.
The Duke Blue Devils will get some support here. They couldn't hang with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last Saturday but they did cover as 21-point underdogs in a 27-13 loss.
Duke's offense was tough to watch, as it totaled 82 yards in the second half Saturday. Overall, a unit that brought back only 56% of last year's production averaged just 4.8 yards per play.
That's not going to get it done against most Power 5 clubs, let alone a Boston College defense that could surprise some this season. The Eagles, led by first-year defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu, bring back 81% of last season's output.
Bettors might be rushing to wager on a team playing its second game against a program opening up the season, but Boston College has gotten plenty of practices in this offseason, unlike some other teams around the country.
Duke could be in for a hangover after a tough loss to one of the ACC's best teams. The Blue Devils are also 2-7 against the spread over their last nine games as home favorites, 1-4 ATS during their last five against conference opponents, and 0-4 ATS after they fail to score 20 or more points in their previous game.
Meanwhile, Boston College is 17-5 ATS over its last 22 games as a road underdog and 18-7-1 ATS over the last 26 in conference play.
Bet the Eagles in this spot.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.