Clemson opens as a 12.5 favorite over Duke

The Tigers will be a two-score favorite when they roll into Durham, North Carolina to take on Duke.

No. 9 Clemson and Duke will be the final two FBS teams to take the field in Week 1 when the ACC foes meet at 8 p.m. on Labor Day. The Tigers are looking to defend their ACC crown, while the Blue Devils are trying to build on their first 9-win season since 2014.

As things sit, Clemson has opened up as a 12.5-point road favorite over Duke, per Caesars Sportsbook. The over/under for the game is 55. Any time you're a double-digit road favorite over a conference opponent, you have to feel pretty good, but it's hard to imagine Clemson fans being overly exuberant about a 34-21 win, which the scoreline and over/under would indicate.

Wallace Wade Stadium (GoDuke.com)

With that said, this isn't the Duke of old. Under Mike Elko, the Blue Devils have become a strong football team. Quarterback Riley Leonard did his best to push North Carolina's Drake Maye as the best quarterback in the ACC last year. In 2022, Leonard tallied nearly 3,000 yards through the air and picked up 699 yards on the ground, earning All-ACC honors. Now he's back for another season under offensive coordinator Kevin Johns and should be even more explosive. 

Clemson will be breaking in a new offense under coordinator Garrett Riley and the defense will be trying to shore up some communication issues that led to some big plays in 2022. Add all of that into a primetime kick at Wallace Wade Stadium, and all of a sudden a 13-point win doesn't sound all that bad.