College Football Betting: Boston College at North Carolina

Saturday college football features a battle between ACC foes as Boston College travels South to take on North Carolina. Boston College may be headed in the right direction after hiring a coach that’s a perfect fit to rebuild the moribund program. Steve Addazio has already made impressive progress with a team that was mentally weak and physically overpowered for much of last season. Last year’s Eagles had one of the worst run defenses in college football but there seems to be improvement in the team’s overall toughness and they’ve got a potent weapon on offense in running back Andre Williams. North Carolina isn’t sure what’s going on–head coach Larry Fedora went 8-4 last year but the Heels seem to have regressed in his second year in Chapel Hill.

Boston College was one of my favorite ‘go against’ teams last season—a perfect combination of bad coaching, disinterested players and equal levels of ineptness on both sides of the ball. Things have changed dramatically in the first season under head coach Steve Addazio. Addazio has not only revived the flagging enthusiasm of his players but has transformed the BC offense into a power running attack built around RB Andre Williams and QB Chase Rettig. Both players benefit from a tough OL and that toughness ‘in the trenches’ extends to the defense where the team has improved markedly. Statistically they don’t look like much on defense (#89) but much of that is a function of the Eagles’ schedule facing offensive juggernauts Florida State and Clemson and a desperate USC team. North Carolina has been a huge disappointment this season both straight up (1-5) and against the spread (1-4-1). Tar Heels have a porous rushing defense (#101 nationally) and simply put there’s no reason they should be favored by this much over an improving BC team, even on their home field.

In our view Boston College is the better team. Their offense isn’t pretty, but it’s efficient and productive. North Carolina will have a hard time stopping the Eagles’ rushing attack and an even harder time trading scores. BC is a team on the upswing and we like them to win outright here. We’ve got a great margin for error should they fall short.

BET BOSTON COLLEGE +7 OVER NORTH CAROLINA