The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are on a roll right now and will look to continue this current run against a Boston College team that is coming off its biggest win of the season.
The Eagles have had a tough year thus far but got a monster win last weekend when they defeated then-No. 17 NC State 21-20 last Saturday on the road. Backup quarterback Emmett Morehead got his second career start, and he responded with 330 yards and three touchdowns, including a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game to secure the victory. The Golden Eagles scored the final 13 points in the win.
At one point early in the season, the Fighting Irish appeared to be headed to a really tough year. Six weeks into the season, they were 3-3 with home losses to Marshall and Stanford. However, Notre Dame has responded in a big way, winning four consecutive games by an average of 16 points. Last week, Notre Dame raced out to a 35-13 lead against Navy and needed to hold on to win 35-32. Sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne had a big game, throwing for 269 yards and four touchdowns in the win.
Caesars Sportsbook has listed Notre Dame as a 21-point favorite over Boston College with an over/under of 45.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Peacock
Point spread (from Caesars Sportsbook): Notre Dame -21
Money line: Boston College +950, Notre Dame -1700
Over/under: 45
Analysis: The Eagles have had a very disappointing season, but they showed last week that they haven’t quit. The offense has been an issue for the Eagles; they have scored more than 21 points in only two games this season. That played a role in the quarterback change, and the results last week were positive against a very good NC State defense. In the running game, Boston College averages only 2.1 yards per carry.
While Pyne has been solid at quarterback (1,547 passing yards and 18 touchdowns), what has changed the season for the Fighting Irish is the rushing attack. Running backs Audric Estime (711 yards and nine touchdowns), Logan Diggs (576 yards and one touchdown) and Chris Tyree (349 yards and two touchdowns) are all capable of big games and comprise the type of ground attack that can wear down opponents late in games.
Boston College had a great win last week, but Notre Dame is playing like a top 20 team again. Ultimately, this one should be close to the spread, but it’s not a great idea to lay that many points.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Boston College 20
