The Troy Trojans can reach numerous historical milestones Saturday when they meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl. The Trojans (11-2) just won the Sun Belt championship for the second consecutive year and, with a Birmingham Bowl victory Saturday, they will reach the 12-win milestone in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. What's more, they will become the first Sun Belt program to defeat a Power Five opponent in a bowl game. On the flip side, Duke (7-5) is seeking consecutive eight-win seasons for the first time in nine years. Both teams are playing for an interim head coach, while Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, who dealt with injuries this season and is now headed to Notre Dame, is the biggest name who will miss this game.
Kickoff is set for noon ET from Protective Stadium. The Trojans are 7-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 44.5 in the latest Troy vs. Duke odds via SportsLine consensus. Before finalizing any Duke vs. Troy picks, be sure to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model enters bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Duke vs. Troy and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Troy vs. Duke:
- Troy vs. Duke point spread: Troy -7
- Troy vs. Duke over/under total: 44.5 points
- Troy vs. Duke money line: Troy -294, Duke +230
- TROY: The Trojans have played under the total in 10 of their past 11 games.
- DUKE: The Blue Devils are 2-2 against the spread as an underdog this season.
- Troy vs. Duke picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Troy vs. Duke live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Troy can cover
On the heels of back-to-back Sun Belt championship seasons, it came as no surprise that head coach Jon Sumrall would be a hot commodity on the open market. Sure enough, Sumrall announced his departure to Tulane shortly after the conference championship game. Although programs often take at least a temporary morale bruise upon such a transition, the Trojans appear to be in a good place. For one, the program wasted no time in hiring Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker as the new head coach, a move that was roundly applauded among Troy boosters and supporters.
What's more, defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato was named interim coach for the Birmingham Bowl, and it appears the team has rallied around him. Although his future with the program remains unclear, Gasparato told the media he is doing everything in his power to prepare the Trojans for success in the game, along with ensuring the players have a memorable experience.
"I just told them the bowl game is a reward for a great season that they have earned and not nobody else," Gasparato said. "There's not one coach on the field that has made one play this year, so they've earned this, and they need to enjoy it." See which team to pick here.
Why Duke can cover
Although Duke's hopes of competing for the ACC title were basically dashed amid the injury loss of Leonard, the Blue Devils persevered through the adversity and finished the regular season on a positive note.
The Blue Devils went just 2-2 in their final four contests, but the two losses came by five combined points, and they earned bowl eligibility with a 24-21 victory over Wake Forest. They also ended the regular season on a high note by beating Pittsburgh 30-19 at home.
Coach Mike Elko has since departed to accept a lucrative offer from Texas A&M, and former Miami coach Manny Diaz already has been hired to take over the program moving forward. In the meantime, longtime assistant coach Trooper Taylor has been charged with leading the program through the bowl game.
This week, Taylor and numerous players insist they are in high spirits and unified in their goal to end an uneven season with an upset over the Sun Belt champion Trojans. See which team to pick here.
How to make Troy vs. Duke picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 41 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Duke vs. Troy, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that's up over $2,000 on its top-rated college football picks, and find out.
