Duke Blue Devils vs Clemson Tigers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 11/01/25

The prevailing storyline here is two teams headed in opposite directions. Clemson has been this year’s disappointment — a preseason darling that some pegged as the best team in the country and a sure bet for the national title. Instead, the Tigers have stumbled to a 3–4 mark, and the calls for Dabo Swinney to ride off into the sunset have gotten louder by the week.

Duke, on the other hand, has earned plenty of respect despite sitting at 4–3. The Blue Devils’ losses came against an undefeated Georgia Tech and a one-loss Tulane team, games where Duke looked more than competent. Against a top-10 Illinois squad, it was the Blue Devils’ own turnovers that did them in. Still, Duke has crushed NC State, Cal, and Syracuse in succession — two of those on the road — and the momentum still seems to be on their side, even after they fell to GT by nine in their last showing two weeks ago.

It’s easy to grab the Dukies plus the field goal and the hook against a listless Clemson, but that’s the trap. The Tigers host this one in Death Valley, and the path to a nine-win season and a bowl berth remains very real with negotiable games ahead against FSU, Louisville, Furman, and South Carolina.

It starts Saturday in Memorial Stadium. Side with the hosts.

Duke vs. Clemson prediction: Clemson -3.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at number posted.

Both teams are known for their defensive acumen and the disruptive play of their defensive fronts. Each side prefers to establish the run and control tempo, which is always a recipe for an under before we even dig into the details. These are physical, methodical teams that thrive on wearing opponents down rather than lighting up the scoreboard.

Turnovers will play a factor, too. Both Clemson and Duke have been prone to mistakes, but they also feed off takeaways — which often lead to short fields and stalled drives rather than shootouts. It’s hard to envision how either offense finds a path to 55 total points when each has struggled to score consistently against quality defenses.

Clemson’s offense has looked ordinary when facing resistance, and Duke’s production dips noticeably against opponents that can match their line play. When either team has met a defense capable of pushing back, they’ve both struggled to break the 21-point threshold.

This one shapes up as a grind-it-out contest — long drives, field position battles, and plenty of punts. Defenses dictate the pace from start to finish. The under is the prudent play here, and 55 feels a touch too generous.

Duke vs. Clemson prediction: Under 55.5 (-110) available at  time of publishing. Playable to Under 55.