Two dominant defenses will dictate this as the Boston College Eagles (3-1) take on the Duke Blue Devils (3-1). The ACC’s second-leading passer, Thomas Sirk (868 yards, 6 TDs), will be featured in this game. It starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 3 and will be available on ESP3 and CHSS.
In last week’s matchup, Duke defeated Georgia Tech 34-20. Max McCaffrey had a solid performance in the victory, grabbing four receptions for 48 yards. Shaquille Powell also had a great game with 88 rushing yards and three TDs on 14 carries. Boston College was victorious last week’s performance as well, getting a close victory over Northern Illinois 17-14. Charlie Callinan had a quality performance for the Eagles, pulling in one reception for 27 yards and one TD. Jon Hilliman had a great game as well, adding 119 rushing yards and a TD on 24 carries.
Duke is a seven-point favorite against the Eagles.
With a 3-1 record for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Blue Devils will look to improve as they head into Week 5. Expect the Blue Devils defense to restrict Boston College’s passing attack. The Blue Devils have the 14th-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 147.8 passing yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Eagles haven’t fared well ATS, sitting at 1-2-1. However, they are 3-1 SU this season. Running the ball is important for the Eagles. They attempt 48.8 rushing plays per game. Moving on to the Boston College defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Blue Devils. Opponents have struggled against Boston College’s top-ranked pass defense. They average just 72 yards per game through the air against this terrifying bunch. It’ll be hard to get the ball out of the hands of Boston College’s offense this week. The team’s average time of possession is 34:04, ranking them 14th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke
Notes
Duke is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Duke’s last 5 games.
Duke is 9-3-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home.
Duke is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Duke’s last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston College’s last 5 games on the road.
Each team is 3-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
The Duke offensive passing attack is ranked only 64th in the nation, while the Boston College pass defense is ranked first. The Eagles passing game is ranked just 123rd, compared to the 14th-ranked pass defense of the Blue Devils.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Boston College is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 25th-ranked rushing attack will face the 28th-ranked run defense of Duke, while its second-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 39th-ranked running game of the Blue Devils.
