Duke football is back on Saturday afternoon, and the Blue Devils open the 2026 season with Tulane at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 on the ACC Network, and Duke gets a fresh chance at the Green Wave after last year’s 34-27 loss in New Orleans.
The matchup comes with Duke listed as a 7.5-point favorite, and the current total sits at 51.5. The pick here is Duke 34, Tulane 21, with the OVER in play.
One of the biggest questions for Duke is whether the run game gets going early enough to take pressure off Walker Eget, who is making his Duke debut at quarterback. Nate Sheppard is back in the Blue Devils’ backfield, and the idea is simple: get him the ball early, establish the ground game and make the offense easier for the new starter. If the Nate Train starts moving, Duke’s outlook gets a lot better.
Eget is the other major piece to watch. The offseason can only tell you so much, and now the real thing begins.
This first game is less about perfection and more about control - taking care of the ball, hitting the available throws and keeping the offense on schedule. It will be the first real look at what Duke has behind center.
There’s also a factor that could shape the whole afternoon: the weather. It is expected to be hot in Durham, with temperatures around 95 degrees near kickoff, and afternoon thunderstorms are also possible. If the storms hold off, the heat could become a real test in the second half, where depth and conditioning may matter as much as anything else.
Tulane isn’t expected to make it easy, and Duke should have last year’s loss fresh in mind. Still, the Blue Devils are at home this time, and the prediction is that they handle business, cover the spread and open 2026 with a win.
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