The Tulane Green Wave take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, N.C. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Duke is favored by -7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -325. The total is set at 51.5 points.
Here are my Tulane vs. Duke predictions and college football picks for Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Tulane vs Duke Prediction
- Tulane vs. Duke Pick: Under 51.5
My Duke vs. Tulane best bet is on the under. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Tulane vs Duke Odds
| Tulane Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 51.5 -105o / -115u | +260 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 51.5 -105o / -115u | -325 |
- Tulane vs Duke point spread: Duke -7.5 (-110), Tulane +7.5 (-110)
- Tulane vs Duke over/under: 51.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Tulane vs Duke moneyline: Tulane +260, Duke -325
Tulane vs Duke Preview
Tulane Green Wave Betting Preview
Tulane enters this matchup with a ton of confidence after making four consecutive AAC title games.
Not only has Tulane finished the regular season ranked inside the top-20 nationally twice over the last four years under multiple regimes, the Green Wave also earned a Cotton Bowl title, along with its first-ever College Football Playoff berth in 2025.
Following Jon Sumrall’s departure, Tulane promoted Will Hall to be the team’s next head coach.
Though Hall’s resume is far from impressive (just one previous head coaching job at Southern Miss), his hiring was quite popular amongst the players — most of whom already have a working relationship with their former offensive coordinator.
While the Green Wave are typically praised for their offensive prowess, it's actually Tulane’s defense — led by captains Jack Tchienchou and Chris Rodgers — that's expected to be the far superior unit in 2026.
Tulane’s aforementioned premier defenders combined for over 160 tackles last season, with Tchienchou’s 83 guiding him to First Team All-Conference honors.
I'm confident that Hall’s defense will be ready to play come Saturday, but it's the Green Wave's offense that concerns me far more, with Houston transfer dual-threat QB Zeon Chriss-Gremillion boasting minimal experience as a starter.
If Tulane is to find success offensively in 2026, Hall must heavily rely on Chriss-Gremillion's mobility and the effectiveness of running back Jamauri McClure, who was largely impressive for the Green Wave in 2025.
That said, McClure suffered an injury in camp, which may result in him missing this game. Florida State transfer RB Jaylin Lucas would be next in line.
Tulane’s offensive line also lost several of its key blockers from 2025, which I expect to make it even more difficult for the Green Wave to run the football.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
In 2025, Duke missed the 12-team College Football Playoff despite winning the ACC. However, an amendment was added for 2026 that will grant the ACC champ an automatic bid into the field.
For a football team that had been largely horrific over the past two-plus decades, Duke has completely transformed the trajectory of the program, with the Blue Devils recording nine victories in three of the last four seasons.
After spending 25 years coaching college football at Miami and Penn State — amongst a couple of other programs — Duke brought in head coach Manny Diaz to take over the reins in December of 2023.
The former Miami head coach made an immediate impact in Durham, leading the Blue Devils to their first outright ACC Championship since 1962.
After losing Darian Mensah and many others in the transfer portal, Duke enters this season with many changes to its personnel on both sides of the football.
Diaz brought in former San Jose State QB Walker Eget, who threw for over 3,000 yards for the Spartans in 2025.
Diaz's squad lost all five of its receivers from 2025, and as a result, brought in several new faces, namely former Charlotte standout WR Javen Nicholas.
The Blue Devils were fortunately able to retain RB Nate Sheppard after he made the 2025 Second Team All-ACC with over 1,100 yards and 11 TDs.
I expect both former FAU RB CJ Campbell and TE Jeremiah Hasley to make sizable impacts on the offensive side of the football as well.
Unfortunately, Duke was unable to retain the majority of its 2025 defense and weren't very aggressive in the portal to replace a front that ranked 16th nationally in tackles for loss last season.
The biggest concerns for the Blue Devils are, for the most part, related to their glaring holes on the defensive side of the football.
Though, despite losing All-ACC CB Chandler Rivers to the NFL, Duke’s secondary is by far the most experienced part of Diaz’s defense.
Tulane vs Duke Pick, Betting Analysis
While Tulane’s rise to college football relevance has been thrilling to watch over the last several years, I'm definitely worried about the Green Wave’s ability to thrive offensively under a brand new regime that lost the majority of its playmakers from 2025.
If McClure is unable to suit up, I'm very concerned about the Green Wave’s ability to move the ball downfield with a run-heavy QB who often has difficulty finding receivers.
The same notion rings true for the Blue Devils, though, who also have a new QB under center in Eget.
I'm expecting a low-scoring affair, thus I'll be targeting the game total to go under 51.5.
Pick: Under 51.5
