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The offshore gambling website BetOnline.ag has installed Boston College as a 8.5 point underdog in this weekend's home finale against Virginia Tech. This will be the eighth time in 11 games where the Eagles go into the game as an underdog (on their way to 9 of 12).
Here are the lines from the last 10 Eagles-Hokies games.
2011: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 14 (BC +21)
2010: Virginia Tech 19, Boston College 0 (VT -3.5)
2009: Virginia Tech 48, Boston College 14 (VT -13.5)
2008: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 12 (VT -1)
2008: Boston College 28, Virginia Tech 23 (BC -3)
2007: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16 (VT -5)
2007: Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10 (BC +3)
2006: Boston College 22, Virginia Tech 3 (BC +2.5)
2005: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 10 (VT -13.5)
2003: Boston College 34, Virginia Tech 27 (BC +15.5)
BC and Virginia Tech are 5-5 ATS over the last 10 meetings between the two clubs, though the Hokies have covered in three of the last four meetings. Both the Eagles and Hokies are just 3-7-0 ATS this year.
Virginia Tech (4-6) goes into this weekend needing two wins over Boston College and Virginia to extend the nation's third longest bowl game streak. The Hokies have participated in the postseason every year since 1993, a span of 19 bowl games. Only Florida (21) and Florida State (30) have longer streaks of consecutive bowl game appearances.
In addition, and absurd as it may be, the 4-6 Hokies are still mathematically alive when it comes to winning this year's ACC Coastal Division title and a spot in the ACC Championship Game. That is because North Carolina, while ineligible to win the Coastal and participate in the Championship Game, will still factor into division standings tiebreakers. In short, the Hokies need Miami to self-impose a postseason ban (taking them out of the running for a spot in the ACC Championship Game) and all of the following to happen:
-- Duke beats Georgia Tech next week
-- Miami beats Duke to win the division with a 5-3 record
-- Virginia Tech beats both Boston College and Virginia
-- Miami self-imposes a postseason ban, removing itself from an appearance in the ACC title game
-- Virginia Tech wins a three-way tiebreaker at 4-4 with Duke and Georgia Tech
The odds of this happening are not good -- for example, Duke is a 11.5 point road dog at Georgia Tech this weekend -- but it's not out of the realm of possibility either.
In other week 12 ACC college football lines, Clemson is a 17-point home favorite over N.C. State. Florida State is a 31 (!) point road favorite over Maryland. Duke is +11.5 at Georgia Tech and North Carolina is only a 6-point road favorite at Virginia on Thursday night. In non-conference play, Notre Dame continues its tour of the bottom tier of the ACC as a 22-point home favorite over Wake Forest. Miami is a 7-point home favorite over South Florida.