The Boston College Eagles and the Duke Blue Devils are both looking to improve their ACC record to be above .500. They will both have the opportunity to do just that when these teams clash in Durham, North Carolina in the afternoon this Saturday. Boston College has won two straight games with a 27-21 win over Pittsburgh and a 49-27 win over Georgia Tech. With 295 passing yards against Pittsburgh, Boston College proved they can win through the air, and with 399 rushing yards against Georgia Tech, they also proved they can win on the ground. Duke bounced back from a loss against their rival North Carolina with a 19-16 road win against Virginia. The Blue Devils used a trick play from running back Nate Sheppard to pull ahead late in the low scoring game.
Boston College won their last two games in different fashions, but overall they are a run first team. They are led by junior quarterback Mason McKenzie who can beat you with both his arm and his legs. McKenzie has thrown for 1,363 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he has also ran for another 614 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has thrown 7 interceptions this season, but he has limited mistakes recently, only throwing 2 interceptions in his last 4 games. McKenzie is backed by two running backs who have each totaled 4 rushing touchdowns, Evan Dickens and Bo MacCormack, creating a rushing attack that will give Duke trouble. The Eagles defense has shown to be competitive, only allowing 23.6 points and 333.3 total yards per game, creating a team that can be tough to beat even on the road. These Eagles are playing above expectations, covering their last four games and with a record against the spread overall of 5-2. Duke’s defense has shown to also be legit, only allowing 16 points per game, but their defense has been a step down from last season. Quarterback Walker Eget has thrown for 1,440 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions this season. Duke’s offense has been on par with Boston College, with only a slight advantage in the total average statistics for both run and pass. Boston College is playing good football right now in the ACC, and I believe they have all the tools to keep this game competitive.
Boston College +7.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at 7.
