by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Jan 01, 2025
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, January 2, 2024
Venue: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Duke +17.5, Ole Miss -17.5; Over/Under: 51.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Duke +17.5, Ole Miss -17.5; Over/Under: 51.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Duke +17.5, Ole Miss -17.5; Over/Under: 51.5 points
Season Record
Duke Blue Devils: 9-3 (5-3) (5th place, ACC)
Mississippi Rebels: 9-3 (5-3) (9th place, SEC)
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Recent Form
Duke Blue Devils: won their last game on the road against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 23-17.
Mississippi Rebels: won their last game at home against the Mississippi State Bulldogs 26-14.
Duke Blue Devils vs Mississippi Rebels Preview and Analysis
Duke is entering this game with a 9-3 record overall and they have a 5-3 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 4-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Wake Forest 23-17. Maalik Murphy was the starting QB and he completed 26/34 passes for 235 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Star Thomas led the team in rushing yards with 66 and 1 TD. Jordan Moore led the receivers with 98 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Alex Howard led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Wesley Williams led the defense in sacks with 1.5. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Ole Miss is entering this game with a 9-3 record overall and they have a 5-3 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 3-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Mississippi State 26-14. Jaxson Dart was the starting QB and he completed 14/24 passes for 143 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Ulysses Bentley IV led the team in rushing yards with 136 and 1 TD. Caden Prieskorn led the receivers with 53 receiving yards on 4 receptions and 1 TD. Chris Paul Jr. and Jadon Canady each led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Walter Nolen led the defense in sacks with 1.5. Chris Paul Jr. and Trey Washington each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Duke vs Mississippi Prediction
The current betting odds have Ole Miss listed as a 17.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Ole Miss has looked good in their games this season with their 9-3 record overall and their 5-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the SEC. They didn't do enough to earn a playoff spot this season, but they will be looking to show that they were a deserving team. Meanwhile, Duke has looked good in their games this season with their 9-3 record overall and their 5-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the ACC. They had a really good season under their new head coach, but they were never really a threat to win the ACC Championship at any point in the season. They ended the regular season with a nice win over Wake Forest, but they didn't really see a lot of strong teams on their schedule this season. The ACC wasn't a great conference this season either, and they haven't been doing well in these bowl games so far. Ole Miss was a really strong team all year with a lot of talent on both offense and defense, and they also had a really balanced offense that can beat teams through the air and on the ground. Ole Miss has the talent to pull away in this game, and Duke won't be able to come back as they don't have the offense. The best way to place a bet here is on Ole Miss to cover the spread in this game.
Duke Mississippi Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Thursday, January 2, 2024 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Ole Miss 45 Duke 17.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Duke Blue Devils Mississippi Rebels prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Duke Blue Devils: 24-12 ATS in all lined games. 12-5 ATS as an underdog. 8-4 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 9-5 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 5-1 UNDER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 10-6 UNDER when the total is between 49.5 and 56.
Mississippi Rebels: 2-4 ATS versus poor rushing teams - averaging 120 rushing yards/game or less. 2-4 1H ATS after a bye week. 24-14 UNDER in all lined games. 21-9 UNDER as a favorite. 7-1 UNDER after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better. 10-4 UNDER after allowing 14 points or less last game.
Key Injuries
Duke Blue Devils: N. Dalmolin (TE) Out - Undisclosed. J. Hasley (TE) Out - Lower Body. J. Moore (WR) Out - Knee.
Mississippi Rebels: A. Robinson (SAF) Out - Illness. T. Harris (WR) Out - Personal. R. Amos (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. I. Hartrup (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. Y. Banks (SAF) Out - Knee. H. Parrish (RB) Out - Leg.
Notable Quotes
“The play that Maalik and Jordan put together was magical. Nobody thought a 5-yard route would turn into a (long) touchdown.” - Manny Diaz after his team’s win against WF in their regular season finale.
“This is a huge game in his state, and I think we felt that early, even though we told them records don’t matter. Weird things happen in these Egg Bowls.” - Lane Kiffin after his team’s win against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
Starting Lineups
Duke Blue Devils
WR Pancol, Eli
WR Moore, Jordan
WR Hagans, Sahmir
TE Taylor, Jake
QB Belin IV, Henry
RB Moore, Jaquez
Mississippi Rebels
WR Harris, Tre
WR Watkins, Jordan
WR Lee, Cayden
TE Wright, Dae'Quan
QB Dart, Jaxson
RB Davis, Micah
Statistical Leaders
Duke Blue Devils
Passing: M. Murphy (2933)
Rushing: S. Thomas (871)
Receiving: J. Moore (798)
Touchdowns: E. Pancol (9)
Mississippi Rebels
Passing: J. Dart (3862)
Rushing: H. Parrish (678)
Receiving: T. Harris (1030)
Touchdowns: H. Parrish (10)
Coaches:
Duke Blue Devils: Manny Diaz (1st season)
Mississippi Rebels: Lane Kiffin (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
