Chick-fil-A Bowl 2013 Preview: Duke Blue Devils vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Johnny Manziel could be wrapping up his college career, not in a national championship game, but in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game against a Duke team that has surpassed expectations all season long.

Other 2013-2014 College Bowl Previews:

BCS National Championship: Florida State vs. Auburn

Rose Bowl: Stanford vs. Michigan State

Orange Bowl: Ohio State vs. Clemson

Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Fiesta Bowl: UCF vs. Baylor

College Football Betting Preview: Duke Blue Devils vs. Texas A&M Aggies in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl

When: 8:00 PM ET, December 31, 2013 [sc:NCAA240banner ]

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Odds:

*As of December 16.

Money: Duke (+400) vs. Texas A&M (-500)

Spread: Duke (+11.5) vs. Texas A&M (-11.5)

Totals: 73.5

| Duke Blue Devils | Texas A&M Aggies
SU/ATS | 10-3/10-3 | 8-4/5-7
O-U | 5-8 | 8-4
Last Game | vs. Florida State Seminoles (L 45-7) | vs. Missouri Tigers (L 28-21)
Player to Watch | WR Jamison Crowder (1,197  Receiving Yards, 7 Receiving TDs) | QB Johnny Manziel (3,732 Passing Yards – #9 in FBS, 33 Passing TDs – #6 in FBS)

Betting on Duke:

No one was surprised by the outcome of the ACC Championship when the Blue Devils were pounded by Florida State for a 45-7 loss. After all, the Seminoles were just flexing their BCS National Championship-bound might as huge 30-point favorites.

The Blue Devils were running on sheer momentum going into the ACC title game, having won eight straight games, beating two ranked teams: Virginia Tech (13-10) and Miami (FL) (48-30), respectively. This season was the first time in the program’s history that it reached ten wins. Aside from that, the Blue Devils were also ranked in the BCS standings for the first time.

Much of Duke’s success could be attributed to the team’s improved defense compared to what it served opponents a season ago. Back in 2012, the Blue Devils were giving up 210.3 rushing yards and 269.6 passing yards per game. This season, coach David Cutcliffe’s squad lowered those numbers to 183.2 and 244.1, respectively.

Duke is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games overall.

Bet now on the Duke Blue Devils.

Betting on Texas A&M:

Overshadowing the Chick-fil-A Bowl itself is the likelihood that this could be Johnny Manziel’s last game wearing an Aggies uniform. If that’s so, Manziel will need to have a big performance as an encore to last season’s, even if it’s not the BCS National Championship Game (which is what most Aggies fans were thinking their team would end up playing in). [sc:NCAA240banner ]

Texas A&M dropped its last two games to LSU and Missouri. Still, the team finished regular season play with a respectable 8-4 SU record. There’s little to question about the Aggies offense. With Manziel, Texas A&M is regularly drowning opponents with points, dumping an average of 43.6 PPG (6th in FBS). Defense has been the Achilles heel of the Aggies, especially on the ground, where they are giving up 144.5 yards per game.

Texas A&M is 5-1 OVER in its last six games as favorites.

Bet now on the Texas A&M Aggies.
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