Time: 5:30 PM EST, Saturday
Spread: FSU -28.5
Total: 54
Odds from Bookmaker
Florida State dropped from No. 4 to No. 12 in the rankings and likely killed their BCS title hopes with a stunning one point loss to NC State last week. They’ll try to get the ship righted against a Boston College squad hoping to catch the Seminoles at a low point. Eagles coach Frank Spaziani doesn’t want to count on them being down, though, commenting that they “have a bevy of football players…a a very good football team…we have to prepare like we do every week for everybody’s A game.”
The Seminoles A game has been tough to beat, and most experts predict the Seminoles to rebound and crush the Eagles. College football oddsmakers agree, setting the line 28.5 points favor of the ACC powerhouse.
The Seminoles rank 14th in the nation with 510.8 yards per game, but last week they managed just 343, and Seminoles QB E.J. Manuel was sacked four times. Manuel still has a QB rating of 166.9, but may have dashed his Heisman hopes with the loss, too. He and his main four targets Kelvin Benjamin (259 receiving yards), Rashad Greene (246), Kenny Shaw (225) and Rodney Smith (204), will try to exploit a BC defense that has given up 29 points per game so far.
Boston College has only one win on the year, and that was against the lackluster program of Maine. They haven’t been able to contain any of their better opponents, and gave up 45 to then No. 17 Clemson on the 29th of September, while allowing the Army’s ground game to punish them last week in a three point loss. Tajh Boyd of the Tigers threw for 367 yards against the Eagles, and Spaziani has to be fearing that Manuel does the same this week.
Any chance Boston College had of covering this spread would have lied in their pass game, as they average 310.8 yards per game in the air. But FSU’s pass defense is among the best in the nation, and their secondary is strong at preventing big plays (at least against everyone except NC State). Chase Rettig has 1,526 yards on the season and 10 passing TDs, but Greg Reid, Xavier Rhodes, Lamarcus Joyner and Terrence Brooks should be able to limit that success. Expect the Seminoles D to play hard an avenge last week’s loss, while Manuel attempt to recreate the brilliance he had shown in the first five Seminoles wins.
Florida State Betting Trends:
Seminoles are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 after scoring less than 20 previous age, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 conference games, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 overall, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 on grass.
Boston College Betting Trends:
Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 on grass, 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games, 23-11 ATS in their last 34 after allowing less than 170 yards, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 overall.
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