Boston College Football: Gambling Odds Against Rutgers

With Boston College Football’s season on the horizon, it is time for another installment of Peter’s Gambling Odds! I found great enjoyment in doing this segment last year and I think it would only be fair to spend my weekend analyzing some trends and providing my less-than-expert advice on which way I lean week over week on the Eagles covering the Vegas Lines. By no means should this be interpreted as an end-all-be-all answer on where you should place your money, but more so a look at the numbers and a mere layperson’s suggestion on where to place your bets. Without further ado, let’s get into the Eagles’ season opener against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

As of this writing, the Eagles open up against the Scarlet Knights as -7 favorites according to BetMGM with the O/U at 48.5. Naturally, I always get a little wary when opening lines come in as whole numbers. I think that fear is engrained in me because I feel like everytime I put money on a hard touchdown cover I am also going in with the utmost confidence that said team will hit that spread with ease and exceed it. With BC, I have been burned far too many times by this, so I definitely want to take a look at the history here between these two programs before my final verdict.

Rutgers Season Outlook

Last season, Rutgers had a less than favorable outcome of a season. They finished 5-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. It was a step in the right direction season for the Knights who in the previous COVID year finished with just three wins. However, they are still a young squad that still appears to have their sea legs and last year regressed overall as an offense. They finished 120th nationally in total and scoring offense. Defensively they were more stout and had some strong performances last season against top-tier competion in their one score loss to Michigan and are returning some star-studded talents at the secondary position with the return of starters Kessawn Abraham and Max Melton.

Overall, the consensus being that this team, while showcasing a sturdy defense, has a lot left to be desired offensively. This could give them some trouble throughout the season and could still lead to there being some growing pains. Not to mention they are stuck in a difficult conference where the back-9 of their season could lead to some blowout losses. That being said, the tempo of their season starts with the Eagles and they will certainly be looking to make a statement win at Chestnut Hill.

History Against the Eagles

The Eagles come into this match touting an 11 game winning streak against the Knights with them not having lost to Rutgers since 1995. In those 11 games, BC has won by an average score of 19.36 points which is a pretty significant margin. By this simple analysis, it is clear that the Eagles have had Rutgers’ number pretty handedly both on the road and at home over the past two decades.

Final Verdict

With a high-flying offense that the Eagles have been touting during their offeseaon with expectations riding high, I do not see the Eagles dropping this season opener come this Saturday. Rutgers still is showing signs of unequal balance between their offense and defense and I foresee a lot of issues steming on the offensive side of the ball for them. Combine this with the history that the Eagles have dominated the Knights by an average score of 19.36 points over the last twenty years instills a bit more confidence in me hammering BC on the spread here. Granted, I guarentee there will be some first game jitters as there always is, but I have a feeling that a rocking Alumini Stadium will stymie those nerves by the start of the second quarter. I don’t want to put any money on the O/U just yet until I see what the Eagles’ offense is capable off so for that I will simply put my eggs in the basket that has BC covering.

Final Prediction: Boston College -7 | Under 48.5 | BC ML