Duke Given Strong Chance to Grab Win Over Boston College This Week

The Duke Blue Devils were able to get back on track this past weekend, grabbing a big road win over the Virginia Cavaliers.

While it wasn't the prettiest of wins, the Blue Devils will take it, especially after they had dropped two straight. Now, Duke will be returning home for a matchup against the Boston College Eagles, giving them an opportunity to add to the win column.

The Blue Devils will be coming into the game with a record of 5-2 on the season, going 2-2 so far in ACC play this year. Duke knows that there is still a lot in front of this team, but this group also can't afford another bad loss on the resume.

As for the Eagles, they will enter the game with a record of 4-3 on the year, going 2-2 in their ACC games. Boston College is coming into the contest after a blowout win over Georgia Tech this past weekend, giving them a lot of confidence.

Duke will need to make sure that they are ready for the Eagles in this game, trying to defend home-field once again. Boston College could give the Blue Devils some trouble, but this team is still seen as the favorites to win the game.

Heading into the game, the Blue Devils are being given a good chance to grab another win this week against the Eagles. According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Duke has a 77.6 percent chance of taking down Boston College this weekend.

If the Blue Devils are going to win, running back Nate Sheppard will need to get going on the ground again. Against the Cavaliers, Sheppard had 55 yards and one touchdown, but this team has relied heavily on his production.

Sheppard is easily the biggest catalyst for the Blue Devils on offense, and the team needs him to bounce back to his early season performance. For the year, Sheppard has rushed for 875 yards and nine touchdowns total.

Head coach Manny Diaz has started to generate some buzz around college football for other jobs, but for now, he is focused on helping Duke win games. Diaz will have another test this week against the Eagles, with the Blue Devils trying to keep pace in the ACC race.

Kickoff between the Blue Devils and Boston College is scheduled to take place at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET from Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham.