Northwestern at Duke Week 3 College Football Matchup Northwestern at Duke Matchup - Week 3
Sat, Sep 16 2023 · Week 3 · 🏟 Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC · Turf · 40,000 cap
Northwestern✈ 629 mi+1 hr TZ
14 38
Final
Home
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Northwestern
18
Duke
29
P&R Line Duke -10.5
P&R Total O/U 46.5
Confidence 90 High
Vegas Duke -17 · O/U 48.0
Matchup Prediction
Metrics disagree on this matchup
Momentum Control favors Northwestern, while Game Control favors Duke. Split signals historically show weaker predictive confidence — treat as a toss-up.
⚡ Split Signal — Metrics Disagree
Momentum Control
80.6%
Northwestern wins
Strong
Game Control
76%
Duke wins
Strong
Vegas Spread
Duke -17
O/U 48.0
William Hill (New Jersey)
Advanced Stats
All 4 factors agree → Duke · 83.1% ATS historically when all four align
↓ See full breakdown
🏠 Duke 3rd straight Home Game
Northwestern 2023 Schedule
Northwestern's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sun 9/3Northwestern at Rutgers+5.0L7–2439.0L7–24UN
Sat 9/9Northwestern vs UTEP-1.0W38–740.0W38–7OY
Sat 9/16Northwestern at Duke+17.0L14–3848.0L14–38ON
Sat 9/23Northwestern vs Minnesota+11.5W37–3439.5W37–34OY
Sat 9/30Northwestern vs Penn State+27.0L13–4148.0L13–41ON
Sat 10/7Northwestern vs Howard-23.0W23–2051.0W23–20UN
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/21Northwestern at Nebraska+10.5L9–1740.0L9–17UY
Sat 10/28Northwestern vs Maryland+14.0W33–2748.5W33–27OY
Sat 11/4Northwestern vs Iowa+4.5L7–1030.5L7–10UY
Sat 11/11Northwestern at Wisconsin+9.5W24–1043.5W24–10UY
Sat 11/18Northwestern vs Purdue-2.5W23–1547.5W23–15UY
Sat 11/25Northwestern at Illinois+5.0W45–4346.5W45–43OY
Sat 12/23Northwestern vs Utah+6.5W14–744.5W14–7UY
Duke 2023 Schedule
Duke's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Mon 9/4Duke vs Clemson+12.5W28–754.0W28–7UY
Sat 9/9Duke vs Lafayette-42.5W42–749.0W42–7UN
Sat 9/16Duke vs Northwestern-17.0W38–1448.0W38–14OY
Sat 9/23Duke at UConn-22.0W41–745.0W41–7OY
Sat 9/30Duke vs Notre Dame+5.5L14–2152.5L14–21UN
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/14Duke vs NC State-3.5W24–344.0W24–3UY
Sat 10/21Duke at Florida State+14.0L20–3849.0L20–38ON
Sat 10/28Duke at Louisville+5.0L0–2347.0L0–23UN
Thu 11/2Duke vs Wake Forest-6.5W24–2141.0W24–21ON
Sat 11/11Duke at North Carolina+9.5L45–4752.5L45–47OY
Sat 11/18Duke at Virginia-4.0L27–3048.5L27–30ON
Sat 11/25Duke vs Pittsburgh-4.5W30–1940.5W30–19OY
Sat 12/23Duke vs Troy+7.0W17–1044.0W17–10UY
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2023 season
Duke PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
All 4 Agree
→ Duke
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
3 Agree
→ Duke
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Duke
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Northwestern #113
+0.262
Duke #64
+0.340
Duke Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Northwestern #100
+0.405
Duke #79
+0.462
Duke Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Northwestern #115
0.141
Duke #71
0.160
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Duke Edge
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Northwestern #48
+7.581
Duke #31
+7.917
Duke Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Northwestern #110
+0.816
Duke #69
+0.850
Duke Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Northwestern #57
70.3
Duke #18
68.8
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Duke Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2023 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Duke Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Northwestern
-0.6
Duke
4.1
Offense Rating
Northwestern
16.0
Duke
14.3
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Northwestern
16.6
Duke
10.2
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum? Northwestern Edge
Avg sequences created per game
Northwestern #47
2.00
Duke #55
0.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Northwestern #35
0.00
Duke #63
0.00
Northwestern +2.00
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 80.6% of games historically
Based on 1 game this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Duke Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Northwestern #1
24.9
Duke #1
59.6
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Northwestern #67
55.9
Duke #53
24.6
Duke +34.6
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 76% of games historically
Based on 2 games this season
Actual Result
CSS Battle
Duke
2 — 0 sequences
✗ Predicted incorrectly
GC Battle
Duke
88.6 — 5.7 GC score
✓ Predicted correctly
Game Result
Duke won by 24
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

CSS and GC disagree on this matchup. When the metrics split, historical cover rates are essentially random — treat this as a coin flip against the spread.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Northwestern
David Braun #1
1–2 (33%) · Yr 1 at school
OC Mike Bajakian Yr 3 #1
DC Vacant Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Duke
Mike Elko #1
12–4 (75%) · Yr 2 at school
OC Kevin Johns Yr 2 #1
DC Tyler Santucci Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself