Duke College Football Playoff Odds 2025-26

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Fact Checked by Editorial Staff

Quick Facts:

  • 🏆 Duke beat Virginia in the ACC Championship.
  • 🏈 The Duke Blue Devils will miss the CFP
  • 📈 Duke will play in the Sun Bowl on December 31.

The Duke Blue Devils emerged as a dark horse in the race for a College Football Playoff spot, but five non-conference losses kept them out. Duke did capture the ACC Championship, and under head coach Manny Diaz, the team is building on a solid foundation, led by quarterback Darian Mensah. After navigating a challenging schedule and winning the ACC title, the Blue Devils are now focused on carrying their success into next season.

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Updated Duke College Football Playoff Odds

Duke enters the 2026–27 season with high expectations, led by star quarterback Darian Mensah and a reliable, experienced offense. The Blue Devils will navigate a nine-game ACC schedule, hosting Clemson, UNC, Stanford, and Boston College. With Coach Manny Diaz continuing to bring in top recruits, Duke looks to build on recent success and make a push for another ACC title. These odds will be updated in 2026:

🏈 Odds To Make College Football Playoff:OTB
Probability of Making The Playoffs:OTB
🏆 Odds to Win ACC Champ.OTB
✅ Last Verified:December 21, 2025

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Why the Duke Blue Devils Will Make the College Football Playoff

The Duke Blue Devils were expected to contend for a College Football Playoff berth in 2025–26, building on the success of head coach Manny Diaz’s first season. The team featured a highly ranked recruiting class, an aggressive defense, and quarterback Darian Mensah leading the offense. Improvements in the rushing attack, combined with Mensah’s dual-threat ability, opened up opportunities for bigger plays. Duke captured the ACC title this year but did not advance to the CFP. 

Duke aims to close the season with a win in the Sun Bowl before shifting focus to 2026–27. The Blue Devils return star QB Darian Mensah, who led the team to the 2025 ACC title, while Manny Diaz’s highly ranked 2026 recruiting class adds depth and talent across the roster.

Why the Duke Blue Devils Will Miss the Playoffs

Even though Duke won the ACC Championship against Virginia, their five non-conference losses hurt their CFP chances. They will now face Arizona State in the Sun Bowl on December 31 before turning their attention to the offseason and the transfer portal. 

Duke Blue Devils History in the College Football Playoff

Duke has yet to make the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. However, the Blue Devils are on a three-game bowl streak, appearing in the Gator Bowl in 2024, the Birmingham Bowl in 2023, and the Military Bowl in 2022. Last season, Duke won nine games, the second-most in program history.

Duke's bowl game history is littered with tertiary bowl games, sans the Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2013, for the last nearly 60 years. The Blue Devils last made a bowl game that would be considered a "major bowl game" in 1958 when they played the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl, a game they lost 48-21.

Duke Blue Devils CFP Odds FAQs

Author

Brandon Justice

Brandon Justice is a Writer, Commercial Editor, and Fact Checker for BetCarolina.com. He's covered numerous sports betting perspectives for over six years, including everything from analysis & daily picks to reviews & guides. Additionally, he spent six seasons covering college football. The Carolina Panthers follow him on Twitter.

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