Boston College Eagles at Providence Friars
Thursday, 12/8/11, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN3
Opening Point Spread: Providence -13
Current Betting Line: Providence -14
Opening Total: 141.5
Current Total: 138
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Boston College is set to head down the I-95 to take on Providence Thursday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, coming in with a 2-6 record and looking to snap a three-game losing streak. “We knew there were definitely going to be some bumps,” commented Eagles freshman center Dennis Clifford. “You can never start off perfect with all these young guys in the lineup.” Head coach Steve Donahue is in his second season since coming over from Cornell, coming off a 21-13 record from a year ago. Boston College is 2-3 ATS as an underdog this year, while the ‘under’ is 3-2 in those contests.
The Eagles will be meeting with the Friars for the 106th time, posting a 48-57 record in the previous games in the series. Boston College registered an 88-86 win as seven-point home favorites a year ago, which was the program’s third consecutive win in the series. Offensively, the team ranks third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in three-point field goals made per game with 6.9, which is just behind Duke and Miami. Donahue has used 10 different starters in eight games this season.
Providence has won three games in row that includes a dominating 80-49 win over Brown as 12-point home favorites. The Friars still need to play better defense, giving up 65.2 points per game through nine contests. “We have to get better at playing defense for the whole possession,” commented Friars coach Ed Cooley. Coming back to tonight’s venue should keep the winning streak alive, as the program has won 17 straight games inside the facility. Providence is 10-5 ATS in December games the past two-plus seasons, including a perfect 2-0 ATS this year.
The Friars hold an 85-82 record against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, with 105 of those meetings coming against the Eagles. Providence has four players that average in double figures, with junior guard Vincent Council leading the charge, averaging 18.1 points and 6.3 assists per game. Cooley hopes that type of production will continue from his first five guys, as the roster is incredibly thin, as four players are averaging 30 minutes or more a night.
Bettors will likely back the Eagles due to their 8-2 ATS mark on the road, while the Friars are 6-15 ATS as a home favorite.
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