Duke football plays Troy in Birmingham Bowl. How to watch, stream online. Betting odds

Steve Wiseman
·2 min read
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Duke finds itself in a transition period and the Birmingham Bowl lies directly in the middle of that.

First, the Blue Devils want to finish off this season — which started with the memorable win over Clemson — strongly by defeating Troy on Saturday at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham.

Coach Mike Elko and his staff set the tone for all this success and the Blue Devils (7-5) delivered on the field with a second winning season in a row. Elko’s departure to Texas A&M on Nov. 27 through the program in a state of flux, with a number of starting players entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Duke hired Manny Diaz as its new head coach on Dec. 7 with assistant coach Trooper Taylor serving as the program’s interim head coach.

Duke wide receiver coach Trooper Taylor reacts after the two-point conversation was negated because of an “inadvertent signal” iduring the second half of Pittsburgh’s 33-30 victory over Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.
Duke wide receiver coach Trooper Taylor reacts after the two-point conversation was negated because of an “inadvertent signal” iduring the second half of Pittsburgh’s 33-30 victory over Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.

Taylor will coach the Blue Devils against Troy. Players who have entered the transfer portal, even if they’ve committed to play at new schools next season, are allowed to practice and play with Duke at the bowl game.

Running back Jordan Waters, who will transfer to N.C. State, is expecting to play for the Blue Devils against Troy. Defensive end R.J. Oben, who is transferring to Notre Dame, has chosen to opt out and not play. Quarterback Riley Leonard, who is transferring to Notre Dame, remains unavailable to play due to a turf toe injury that needed surgery last month.

Troy (11-2) is also a program going through transition as its coach, Jon Sumrall, has left to become Tulane’s coach. Troy hired Gerad Parker, a former Duke assistant who was Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator this season, as its new head coach.

Despite all that, the Trojans are on a 10-game winning streak and are a touchdown favorite over Duke in the Birmingham Bowl.

Kickoff time + TV channel for Birmingham Bowl

The game kicks off at noon Saturday on ABC, which is available over-the-air, on Spectrum cable and major satellite services like DirecTV and Dish Network.

How to stream the Duke vs. Troy matchup

ABC is available on major streaming platforms with local channels, like DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling.

Betting odds

Troy is a 7.5-point favorite, with the over-under set at 44.5 points.

Game day details: Duke vs. Troy

Teams: Duke Blue Devils (7-5) vs. Troy Trojans (11-2)

Where: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama

Date: Saturday, Dec. 23

Time: Noon

TV: ABC

Betting line: Troy by 7.5 points

Series history: Duke and Troy have played twice, with the Blue Devils winning both times. They played in 2013 in Durham and 2014 in Troy, Alabama.

Pregame reading

Duke football transfer tracker: DL Aeneas Peebles staying in ACC. Who else is on the move?

‘Timing matters’: Why Duke football’s hire of Manny Diaz is a study in contradictions

New Duke football coach Manny Diaz embraces challenge in front of him

How will Duke football players ease the pain of another narrow loss to UNC? Some never will

A ‘limitless’ talent: Why Duke football’s Jordan Moore is primed for a breakout season

How Duke football’s Graham Barton went from lacrosse to being the ACC’s top left tackle