The top-ranked Clemson Tigers will look to extend their winning ways against the Boston College Eagles when the two square off in their Week 9 ACC matchup on Saturday, but due to a recent positive COVID-19 test result, the Tigers will be without superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence for this contest and possible Clemson’s next as well. While Clemson will be looking to take another step toward their sixth straight appearance in the College Football Playoff, let’s find out if the Tigers can avoid the upset against a BC team looking for the outright upset. That said, let’s have a closer look at both teams so you can wager on their NCAAF odds.
Boston College Vs No. 1 Clemson Odds, Preview and Prediction
Boston College (4-2) at Clemson (6-0)
- When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 at 12:00 PM ET
- Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
- TV: ABC
Why Bet On Boston College at +31
Boston College bounced back from a humbling Week 7 loss against Virginia Tech to take down Georgia Tech 48-27 on Saturday as quarterback Phil Jurkovec passed for 145 yards with two touchdowns and no picks while running back David Bailey added 83 rushing yards and two scores.
“Boston College is going to be a tough team,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who recorded his first victory as a head coach against Boston College in 2008. “They’re playing hard, they’re playing confident, they could easily be a 5-1 football team right now. They’re doing a great job of figuring out what their strengths are and playing to those strengths. It will be a tough challenge, no doubt about it.”
Jurkovec, a transfer from Notre Dame, is averaging a stellar 278 passing yards per game and also is the team’s second-leading rusher.
“The difference in Boston College this year is they’re throwing the ball all over the place,” Swinney said. “He’s a big quarterback — a hard guy to get on the ground. He’s athletic, he’s crafty and he can make all the throws. He’s getting better and better, and you can tell that the team believes in him.”
Boston College ranks 68th in total offense, 26th in passing, 90th in rushing and 60th in scoring (27.5 ppg). Defensively, the Eagles rank 42nd overall, 37th against the pass, 61st against the run and 35th in points allowed (25.0 ppg).
Why Bet On Clemson at -31
The Tigers cruised to a convincing 47-21 win over Syracuse on Saturday as Lawrence passed for 289 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while running back and two-time reigning ACC Player of the Year Travis Etienne rushed for 86 yards and three scores.
Now however, Clemson will be without the biggest star in all of college football. Lawrence took a test on Wednesday and received a positive result on Thursday. The almost sure-fire top pick in the next NFL draft went into isolation as mandated by the ACC’s medical advisory group and will be required to isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms.
Now, Clemson will turn to little-used backup D.J. Uiagalelei for this Week 9 matchup and possibly, Clemson’s huge Week 10 date against unbeaten and nationally ranked Notre Dame.
The good news is that Uiagalelei is a gifted player – even if he is inexperienced. Uiagalelei,a true freshman, was one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation that was recruited by Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma, among other powerhouses.
“He has everything that the great ones we’ve had (had), just bigger,” Swinney said of Uiagalelei last December. “He’s not 6-6 like Trevor, but none of those guys were 240 pounds, and he can run as well as anybody we’ve had. Just a special young man. Just a very humble young man. No entitlement. No drama.”
Uiagalelei has seen action in five games, completing 12 of 19 attempts for 102 yards and rushing for two scores. Clemson ranks 10th in total offense, 11th in passing, 40th in rushing and a stupendous fourth in scoring (48.2 ppg). Defensively, the Tigers rank 10th overall, 11th against the pass, 20th against the run and 12th in points allowed (13.5 ppg).
Expert Analysis and Prediction
Clemson has won nine straight in this ACC rivalry including an emphatic 59-7 blowout win a year ago as a 16.5-point home favorite. While the spread for this contest will almost certainly change with Lawrence out, let it be know that BC has gone an uninspiring 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS win and 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an SU win.
Conversely, Clemson has gone a robust 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games against a team with a winning record and 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 conference games. The bad news is that the Tigers are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall while Boston College has gone a stellar 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 conference games and equally impressive 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as a road underdog. While I’m not prepared to pick BC to get the stunning outright upset, I do like the Eagles to find a way to cover what should still be a double-digit spread when this game kicks off on Saturday.
Pick: Boston College +31
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