Syracuse Orange vs. Boston College Eagles Pick
Syracuse Orange (8-3 SU, 7-3-1 ATS) vs. Boston College Eagles (7-4 SU, 7-4 ATS)
When: Saturday, November 24th, 2018 – 12:00 PM ET
Where: Alumni Stadium – Chestnut Hill, MA
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: CUSE +7 / BC -7
Total: 57.5
Power Ratings: Boston College -9
Takeaways From Week 12
The Orange were on the national radar last weekend when they were sitting in the top-15 in the polls with a showdown at Yankee Stadium with the No. 3 team in America, Notre Dame. As a ten-point underdog, the Orange was a popular selection by many to cover and pull the upset outright against the seemingly untested Fighting Irish. Notre Dame made quick work of Syracuse and trashed them 36-3, ending a three-game Cuse winning streak.
The Eagles lost their second game in a row last week when they were upset on the road on at Florida State, falling 22-21 as a 2.5-point favorite. Boston College had FSU’s post-season hopes on the ropes, but DeAndre Francois connected with Tamorrion Terry with 1:49 remaining to nose the Noles to the front. Previous to this, Boston College was drubbed at home 27-7 by the No. 2 team in the country the Clemson Tigers.
How the Public is Betting the Syracuse-Boston College Game
At the moment, 61% of the consensus like the Orange here as a touchdown underdog. Despite this, there have been no line movements to reflect the lean by the public on Cuse.
The Historical
This football rivalry dated back to 1924 and was a prominent feud in the now-defunct Big East football conference. The Boston College-Syracuse rivalry has been quite competitive as of recent. Both teams have won three of the last six meetings. Last year, Boston College made a statement when they rolled Syracuse in The Carrier Dome by a score of 42-14 covering as a 4.5-point favorite with ease.
Injury Concerns
Syracuse’s stand-out quarterback Eric Dungey remains questionable for Saturday as he left last week’s Notre Dame game with a back injury. This is a significant injury considering that Dungey is the driving force of Syracuse’s offense. Boston College enters into this affair virtually at full health.
When Syracuse Has the Ball
As mentioned previously, signal caller Eric Dungey is the backbone of the Syracuse offense. Dungey is a true dual-threat quarterback as he has thrown for 2,203 yards through the air along with 14 touchdowns and just six picks while also rushing for 12 more scores and 698 yards on the ground. Dungey is Cuse’s leading scorer and the catalyst behind an offensive unit responsible for 40.6 points per game. If he is unavailable on Saturday, that would be a tremendous blow to Cuse’s prospects as their offense wins games by virtue of outscoring the opposition. Syracuse’s defense allows 28.4 points per game (78th nationally) and is at the bottom tier in total defense, giving up 433.3 yards per game (95th in the FBS).
When Boston College Has the Ball
Like Syracuse, Boston College has one player that seems to facilitate most of the action and his name is A.J Dillon. The sophomore running back is the definition of a bell-cow, totaling 1,052 yards on the ground while finding the end zone on 11 occasions. Dillon is the brightest spot in an Eagles offense that loves to run frequently. The Eagles are more-or-less one-dimensional as they rank 86th in the passing department (212 yards per game). It is worth noting that BC’s quarterback Anthony Brown has put together a solid campaign throwing for 1,870 yards through the air, 17 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. His ability to make plays, however, is predicated on Dillon’s success on the ground.
Betting Trends
One trend that will allure a lot of action on the Orange is the narrative that the Underdog has gone 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between these two border-state adversaries.
Weather Report
The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies in Chestnut Hill with temperatures meandering in the upper 30’s to lower 40’s. No precipitation is expected, and winds are not predicted to exceed 3 MPH.
Keith Pick to Cover the Spread: Boston College -7
Syracuse’s only hope in being competitive in this contest rests on Eric Dungey being under center. However, Dungey may be less inclined to play this one out to risk further injury and ultimately plummet his NFL Draft stock. Many prognostications were made concerning the Senior quarterback in the pre-season along with the lines that a productive campaign would get him a serious look by pro scouts. Dungey has done what he was supposed to do in that regard and thus will be more apt to make a career move to protect his status, after all, we saw Ohio State Defensive End Nick Bosa make such a decision in mid-October. Even if Dungey suits up and plays, he will likely not be a 100% and that in itself bodes tremendous trouble for Cuse. Chances are the Orange’s offense will not be as efficient as it usually is which means that the mediocre defense will have to pick up the slack. The problem is Boston College will implement a heavy dose of A.J Dillon, play the possession game, and limit Syracuse’s opportunities to play catch-up. Boston College should safely win this by a double-digit cushion.