Atlantic Coast foes will clash when the Boston College Eagles (7-7) play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-4) at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 7 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Eagles were beaten by Duke 81-64 in their last game. Jerome Robinson was the top performer for the Eagles, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, are coming off a 77-66 loss to Virginia in their last outing. Demetrius Jackson had a team-high 18 points.
Over the last five games, Eli Carter has really been playing well for the Eagles, averaging 19.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.0 three-pointers. Bonzie Colson has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 block while leading the Fighting Irish.
The Eagles may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 296th in the nation in FTA rate (31.3), while Notre Dame is among the nation’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a FTA rate of just 23.6, fifth in the country).
Boston College, an eight-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Notre Dame. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at 137 points. The Eagles have gone 7-7 Straight Up (SU) and 3-6 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 2-5 ATS over their last 10 games.
Across the court, the Fighting Irish haven’t fared well ATS, sitting at 4-7. However, they are 9-4 SU. The Fighting Irish are shooting lights out so far, with a .495 field-goal percentage that ranks 19th in Division I. The Fighting Irish rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 22nd-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.52.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Boston College and Notre Dame played, Notre Dame won, bringing its SU record to 6-1. Additionally, with a 4-3 record, Notre Dame has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – ND, ATS Winner – ND, O/U – Over
Notes
Boston College is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Boston College is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Notre Dame.
Neither the Boston College Eagles nor the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have won a game against any team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both teams hold records of 0-1 SU in these matchups.
Notre Dame scores just 71.5 points per away game (ranked 121st). Boston College ranks 94th in points allowed at home, giving up 63.7 points.
The Boston College Eagles average 68.5 possessions per game and .981 points per possession, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earn fewer possessions (64.6) but more points per possession (1.208).
Ranked 14th in the nation, Notre Dame has an average effective field goal percentage of 56.6%. Boston College has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-2).
The Boston College Eagles average 22.0 three point attempts per game, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempt 21.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, Boston College is an even 4-4, while Notre Dame has a stellar record of 7-2.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish rank 22nd with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.52, while the Boston College Eagles rank outside the top 100 at 136th with an A/TO of 1.12.
Boston College has forced an average turnover rate of 19.3% this season. In games where its turnover rate is 19.3% or higher, Notre Dame is an even 1-1.
