- The #17 SMU Mustangs are 9.5-point favorites over the Boston College Eagles in the Fenway Bowl on Thursday, December 28
- SMU is 9-0 SU in the school’s past nine games
- Boston College is 1-4 ATS in the last five games
Oddsmakers aren’t putting much stock in being home for the holidays helping out the Boston College Eagles (6-6, 4-8 ATS) as they battle the #17 SMU Mustangs (11-2, 8-5 ATS) in the Fenway Bowl. Then again, playing in Boston hasn’t been much of a help to the Eagles so far this season.
Boston College is 3-4 straight up at home this season. Moving across town to Fenway Park, which was actually home to BC until 1957, isn’t making an impression in the betting line, either.
It’s the Mustangs who are set as 9.5-point favorites in the SMU vs Boston College odds. SMU is 6-2 against the spread over the school’s past eight games.
Let’s look more deeply into the SMU vs Boston College picks, and then offer you our prediction for this NCAA football bowl game.
SMU vs Boston College Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMU Mustangs | -360 | -9.5 (-110) | Over 47.5 (-115) |
| Boston College Eagles | +290 | +9.5 (-110) | Under 47.5 (-105) |
In the SMU vs Boston College odds, the Mustangs are -360 moneyline favorites, giving them a 78.26% implied win probability. The total is set at 47.5 points. SMU is 10-0 SU in the last 10 games as a betting favorite.
Odds as of Dec. 27 at ESPN BET. Check out our ESPN BET promo before betting on Mustangs vs Eagles and other college football bowl game action. And don’t forget to input the promo code “DIME” when signing up at ESPN BET to get your $250 in bonus bets.
This will be the second meeting between SMU and Boston College. In 1986, the Mustangs edged the Eagles 31-29.
SMU is 7-10-1 SU all-time in bowl game action. the Mustangs were slated to play in the original Fenway Bowl game in 2021, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. Boston College is 14-13 SU in bowl game action. However, the Eagles are 1-7 SU in bowl game appearances since 2008.
Kickoff for this game at Fenway Park on Thursday, December 28 is set for 11:00 am ET. The broadcast is being carried by ESPN.
Mustangs vs Eagles Betting Trends
In the college football public betting splits, spread action is landing on the underdog Eagles. Boston College is pulling 56% of handle and 69% of bets in the spread splits. This even though the Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their past five games.
Moneyline action is riding the Mustangs at a massive rate. SMU is pulling 89% of handle and 90% of bets in the moneyline splits. The Mustangs are 9-0 SU in their past nine games.
On the total, the over has been the winning play in 10 of the last 14 Boston College games. The over is also 5-2 in SMU’s past seven games.
Jennings A Question Mark For Mustangs
Preston Stone was QB1 for the Mustangs until suffering a broken leg in the school’s regular-season finale. That thrust Kevin Jennings into the spotlight under center.
In his first start, Jennings threw for 203 yards and one touchdown against Tulane as SMU won the AAC title game 26-14. He was also picked off twice.
SMU QB Kevin Jennings was picked to break the rock after today’s AAC championship game win in his first career start. He turned and gave the sledgehammer to Coach Lashlee who broke it#PonyUp #PonyUpDallas #PonyStampede #SMUFB #SMU @Kevin8Jennings https://t.co/hFF3wOjsko
— Jordan Hofeditz (@jhofeditz) December 3, 2023
As well, Jennings ran for 63 yards and that figures to be the game plan for SMU. Boston College ranks 121st in the nation (out of 130 schools) at stopping the run. The Eagles allow 197 yards per game on the ground. The 5.4 yards per carry gained by BC’s opponents is 127th in the FBS.
These Eagles Don’t Soar
Like SMU, look for Boston College to run the ball. They may be Eagles, but they’re very grounded in their approach.
Thomas Castellanos rates third in the nation for rushing yards by a QB, gaining 957 yards on the ground. That was good enough for fifth in ACC rushing. Castellanos’ 11 rushing TDs were also fifth in the conference.
Thomas Castellanos is one of the most entertaining football players in college pic.twitter.com/thI6AirQZf
— Chris (@ChrisJustJoking) December 21, 2023
Overall, the sophomore has produced 3,103 yards of total offense. That’s better than BC legend Doug Flutie’s sophomore numbers.
He gets ground support from RB Kyle Robichaux. He’s run for 691 yards and seven TDs this season. Robichaux shows a 4.6 yards per carry average this season.
SMU vs Boston College Prediction
The Mustangs’ only losses this season are away defeats at Oklahoma and TCU. SMU is looking for the school’s first 12-win season since 1935. And after winning their first conference title since 1982, the players feel they were slighted by being excluded from the glamor slate of New Year’s Day bowl games.
SMU is joining the ACC next season. Boston College was 3-5 SU in the ACC this season. The Eagles surrendered 93 points over their final two regular-season home games.
SMU vs Boston College Pick:
- SMU Mustangs -9.5 (-110)
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