College Football Betting News and Notes Friday, October 7th, 2016

CLEMSON (5 - 0) at BOSTON COLLEGE (3 - 2) - 10/7/2016, 7:30 PM

Top Trends for this game.
CLEMSON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON COLLEGE is 1-0 against the spread versus CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
CLEMSON is 2-0 straight up against BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

SMU (2 - 3) at TULSA (3 - 1) - 10/7/2016, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
SMU is 87-119 ATS (-43.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
TULSA is 14-32 ATS (-21.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 1-1 against the spread versus SMU over the last 3 seasons
TULSA is 2-0 straight up against SMU over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

BOISE ST (4 - 0) at NEW MEXICO (2 - 2) - 10/7/2016, 9:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 130-90 ATS (+31.0 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 130-90 ATS (+31.0 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 106-76 ATS (+22.4 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
BOISE ST is 79-53 ATS (+20.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
BOISE ST is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 73-42 ATS (+26.8 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 82-56 ATS (+20.4 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW MEXICO is 2-0 against the spread versus BOISE ST over the last 3 seasons
NEW MEXICO is 1-1 straight up against BOISE ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

CLEMSON vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Clemson's last 7 games when playing Boston College
Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston College
Boston College is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Boston College is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home

SOUTHERN METHODIST vs. TULSA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Southern Methodist's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Southern Methodist is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Tulsa is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Southern Methodist
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tulsa's last 6 games

BOISE STATE vs. NEW MEXICO
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New Mexico is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Mexico's last 5 games at home

Clemson at Boston College
Clemson: 11-3 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread
Boston College: 10-1 UNDER in games played on turf

SMU at Tulsa
SMU: 17-35 ATS off a road blowout loss by 21 points or more
Tulsa: 6-0 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread

Boise State at New Mexico
Boise St: 73-42 ATS off a win against a conference rival
New Mexico: 13-26 ATS in home games after allowing 37 points or more last game

NCAAF Week 6

Central Florida scored 100 points in winning its last two games, after losses to couple of Big 14 teams, Michigan/Maryland. Knights are 5-2 in last seven games with Tulane, winning last three here by 7-49-10 points (2-1 vs spread). Green Wave is +6 in turnovers in last two series games. UCF was 0-3 as a home favorite LY, after being 28-15 in that role from 2007-14. Tulane scored 72 points in winning last two games, after close losses to Wake Forest (7-3), Navy (21-14) in its first two I-A games. Green Wave is 8-7 in its last 15 games as a road underdog.

Clemson has to guard against a letdown after beating Louisville LW; Tigers won 19-13/26-7 in its first two road games this year- they’re 3-7 in last 10 games as a road favorite, 1-1 this year. Clemson won its last five games with Boston College, by 17-4-10-14-22 points (0-2-1 vs spread last three). Tigers are 3-2 in last five visits here, with only one win by by more than six points. Overall, underdogs are 7-3-1 vs spread in last 11 series games. BC held three of its four I-A foes to 17 or less points, but lost 49-17 at Va Tech. Eagles are 4-5 as home underdogs under Addazio.

Tulsa was down 31-0 in its last game, at Fresno State, rallied to win in OT; Hurricane is 3-1 this year with only loss at Ohio State- they’re 3-8 in its last 11 games as a home favorite, 1-0 this year. Underdogs are 9-4 in last 13 Tulsa-SMU games; Tulsa won 38-28/40-31 last two years and is 4-1 in last five series games played here, winning by 10-31-6-7 points (1-4 vs spread). Mustangs allowed 39.3 pts/game in losing last three I-A games, all by 25+ points; they’re 10-18 in last 28 games as a road underdog.

New Mexico (+31) upset Boise State 31-24 on blue turf LY, despite being TY difference of 641-413, Boise. Broncos won last three visits to Albuquerque by 11-3-17 points, but Lobos are 5-0 vs spread in last five series games. Boise already has road wins at ULL (45-10, -19), Oregon State (38-24, -13) this year. Broncos are 31-13 in last 44 games as a road favorite, 9-4 under Harsin. New Mexico scored 35.7 pts/game in its three I-A games but lost two of the three games; Lobos are 6-9 as home underdogs under Davie, but have covered three of last four such games. Underdogs are 4-2 vs spread in Mountain West games this year, 1-1 at home.

Armadillosports.com

ACC Report - Week 6
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Clemson at Boston College

The Tigers won their emotional showdown against the Cardinals of Louisville last weekend, now face a short week of preparation and a road trip to Chestnut Hill. Will there be a bit of a hangover following a huge victory? Will the Tigers just show up and expect to win? Head coach Dabo Swinney will do everything in his power to keep that from happening, but Clemson has struggled on offense at times this season and Boston College has a stout defense. Still, Clemson is 5-1 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record, 6-2 ATS in the past eight overall dating back to last season, but just 3-7 ATS in the past 10 road outings. Boston College has struggled to protect its home turf, though, going 1-5-2 ATS in the past eight home games, while managing a poor 0-4-1 ATS mark in the past five ACC tilts, including a 49-0 blowout loss at Virginia Tech in their last conference game.

Clemson invades BC
By Sportsbook.ag

It must be conference play time in College Football as we have got seven weekday games in Week 6 as conference rivalries hit full swing and ranked teams look to stay on top of their perch.

One team first both of those scenarios this week as #3 Clemson – fresh off their huge home win vs. Louisville last week – hits the road as double-digit chalk on Friday night against Boston College.

Clemson impressed many bettors last week with the way they were able to battle back late in that Louisville game after giving up a big halftime lead, but is this a good spot to lay all that chalk with the Tigers on the road?

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Clemson (-17); Total set at 43

Clemson's goal of getting back to the college football playoff this year remains intact after they survived that heavily hyped game with Louisville last week and many are pointing to that one remaining test against Florida State a few weeks from now as the only other potential loss the Tigers could see.

That very well could be the case and while Clemson isn't looking ahead to that game yet, and is unlikely to lose this game vs. Boston College straight up, the point spread is the great equalizer and this may be a few too many points for the Tigers to be giving here.

Boston College enters this game with a 3-2 SU mark, but those two losses came against the toughest foes they've faced so far in Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. On the surface, that doesn't bode well for the Eagles here as Clemson is far and away better than those two squads, but there are some positive signs for Boston College this week.

For one, this is the third straight home game for BC and that level of comfort they've got here can't be ignored. The previous two home games were against lesser competition, but Boston College outscored those two foes by a 77-13 margin and beatings like that definitely instill confidence here.

Having that confidence as a big home underdog can do wonderful things for teams in that scenario and don't think that BC hasn't talked about this being their own “championship game” as they've got a chance to knock off one of college football's elite.

Secondly, Clemson has had their issues beating up on BC in recent years as Boston College is 3-0 ATS the last three years vs. Clemson and although Clemson is 5-0 SU the past five seasons, only one of those wins came by more than 17 points. Last year's 34-17 Clemson victory landed right on this year's spread (BC was +18), but it was also in Death Valley and not a road game for Clemson.

Finally, we can't forget about the letdown factor hovering over Clemson this week after that huge Louisville game. The Tigers fully understand how important a win of that magnitude was for their playoff aspirations and with Florida State's struggles in 2016, that Louisville game might have been the Tigers toughest test this year.

Getting that out of the way early and being on the right side of the result was huge for this program and there is no question that it will be difficult for them to match that intensity, focus, and preparation level this week going out on the road expected to cruise to another W.

BC's defense is tough in their own right and with a total of 43 on this game, getting that 18+ point margin for Clemson will be tough.

Boston College won't end up with the outright win here, but they'll give a disinterested Clemson team all that they can handle in this primetime showcase game at home. With many of the situational factors lining up against Clemson too, you've got to grab the points.

Best Bet: Take Boston College +17

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Clemson at Boston College

If you’re a gambler who likes to hunt for situational advantages, you may have one here with Boston College. The Eagles get Clemson at home on a short week with the Tigers coming off a 42-36 win over previously-undefeated Louisville in a slugfest. Coupled with FSU’s loss at home to UNC, the victory essentially gave Dabo Swinney’s team a two-game lead in ACC Atlantic and plenty of breathing room, potentially setting up a flat spot laying more than two touchdowns on the road.

As of Wednesday, most betting shops had Clemson (5-0 straight up, 3-2 against the spread) listed as a 17-point favorite with a total of 43. The Eagles were +550 on the money line (risk $100 to win $550).

Clemson has won five in a row over BC and seven of the last eight. With that said, the Eagles have taken the cash in three consecutive head-to-head meetings, including a 17-13 home loss as 5.5-point underdogs in 2014. The Tigers won by a 34-17 count as 18-point home favorites last year at Death Valley. BC trailed just 17-10 at intermission, but Deshaun Watson connected on a pair of second-half TD passes to get Clemson ahead of the number with a 34-10 advantage. However, with 1:29 remaining, Jeff Smith’s one-yard TD run for BC gave his team and its betting supporters the backdoor spread cover. Watson threw for 420 yards and three TDs and ran for another score, but we should mention that he was also intercepted twice.

The ‘under’ is 5-2 in the last seven Clemson-BC encounters.

Clemson raced out to a 28-10 halftime lead over Louisville last Saturday night as a one-point home underdog. Watson threw three TD passes in the second quarter, including a five-yard scoring strike to Artavis Scott with five seconds left until intermission. U of L would score 26 unanswered points in the second half and took a 36-28 advantage on Lamar Jackson’s 11-yard TD run with 7:52 remaining. Scott probably came up with the biggest play of the game on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 77 yards to five the Tigers a short field. Moments later, Watson found Mike Williams for a 20-yard TD pass at the 7:06 mark. Although the two-point conversion failed, Clemson went ahead on its next possession thanks to Waton’s fifth TD pass of the night, a 31-yard connection to Jordan Leggett with 3:14 remaining. Jackson quickly marched U of L down the field and into the red zone. But on a fourth-down play with 33 seconds left, Jackson’s short pass to James Quick came up one yard shy of a first down when Quick inexplicably ran out of bounds without cutting inside and giving up his body when it appeared he had room to get a first down.

After a scorless first quarter, the 78 combined points scored in the next three stanzas allowed the ‘over’ (64) to cash tickets. Watson completed 20-of-31 throws for 306 yards with five TDs and three interceptions. He rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries, while Wayne Gallman ran 16 times for 110 yards and one TD. Deon Cain had four receptions for 98 yards and two TDs. Jackson threw for 295 yards in the losing effort. The Heisman Trophy favorite ran 31 times for 162 yards and two scores.

Watson hasn’t produced the stats he did last season, but the zero in the loss column for his team is all that matters. He has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 1,302 yards with a 14/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has rushed for 211 yards with a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Gallman has 366 rushing yards and four TDs with a 4.6 YPC average. Williams, who missed nearly all of 2015 after sustaining a season-ending neck injury in Week 1, has a team-high 25 receptions for 373 yards and two TDs. Ray-Ray McCloud has 24 catches for 271 yards and two TDs, while Scott has 19 grabs for 183 yards and one TD. Cain has a team-best four TD catches.

Clemson’s defense had three sacks and 10 tackles behind the line vs. Louisville. DC Brent Venables’ stop unit ranks 12th in the nation in total defense, 14th against the pass and 16th in scoring defense (16.0 points per game). This group is led by senior LB Ben Boulware, who has 38 tackles, one interception, four tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one pass broken up. Sophomore safety Van Smith has a team-best 39 tackles to go with one interception and 2.5 TFL’s.

Clemson WR Hunter Renfroe will miss a fourth straight game since breaking his hand in a 30-24 win over Troy in Week 2. Renfore had 33 catches for 492 yards and five TDs in 2015. He had four receptions for 62 yards and two TDs before suffering the injury. Also, sophomore LB Jalen Williams (knee) and freshman LB Tre Lamar (ankle) are listed as ‘questionable.’ Williams, who didn’t play vs. U of L, had 11 tackles and one interception in the first four games. Meanwhile, Lamar has recorded eight tackles, 2.5 TFL’s and one sack. Sophomore DE Austin Bryant, who has missed the first five games due to a foot injury, might make his season debut but is listed as ‘questionable.’ As a freshman in ’15, Bryant had 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Boston College (3-2 SU, 2-2-1 ATS) has three wins at UMass (26-7), vs. Wagner (42-10) and vs. Buffalo (35-3). Steve Addazio’s squad lost 17-14 against Georgia Tech in the season opener in Dublin, Ireland. Then in Week 3, the Eagles were demolished by a 49-0 count at Va. Tech. Addazio is 20-23 during his four-year tenure at BC and is considered to be on warm seat in terms of his job security. A win in this spot at home over Clemson would do wonders for his prospects of seeing a fifth year at the helm.

To be fair, Addazio took over a program that went 4-8 and 2-10 in 2011 and ’12, respectively. He went 7-6 in back-to-back campaigns that saw his team go bowling each time. BC dropped a 31-30 overtime decision to Penn St. at the Pinstripe Bowl two years ago. In 2015, BC saw its top two QBs get injured in September and 3-1 start turned into a painful eight-game losing streak. In those eight games, the Eagles couldn’t generate any semblance of an offensive attack, never once scoring more than 17 points. They lost five games by 14 combined points.

BC’s defense was one of the nation’s best last season, allowing just 15.3 PPG. Once again this year, BC has one of the country’s best stop units. The Eagles are tops in the nation in total defense (202.0 yards per game), No. 1 against the pass (124.0 YPG), seventh versus the run (78.0 YPG) and 16th in scoring defense (17.2 PPG). This group is led by senior safety John Johnson, junior LB Connor Strachan and senior LB Matt Milano. Johnson has 28 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, four passes broken up and 0.5 TFL’s, while Milano has 27 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s, three sacks and one PBU. Strachan has recorded 24 tackles, 7.5 TFL’s, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one QB hurry.

In last week’s win over Buffalo, BC’s defense gave up only five first downs and 67 total yards of offense. The Bulls converted only 1-of-11 third-down attempts. Patrick Towles, the grad transfer QB from Kentucky, completed 14-of-25 passes for 234 yards and two TDs without an interception. Jon Hilliman rushed for 54 yards and one TD, while Jeff Smith had five receptions for 55 yards.

Towles has connected on 55-of-108 passes (50.9%) for 806 yards with a 6/3 TD-INT ratio. He has rushed for 174 yards and three TDs. Hilliman has rushed for a team-best 294 yards and five TDs, but he’s averaging merely 3.4 YPC. Smith has a team-high 14 catches for 247 yards and three TDs.

The ‘under’ is 4-1 overall for BC, 2-0 in its home games. The ‘under’ has cashed at a 10-1 clip in the Eagles’ last 11 home games.

The ‘under’ is 4-1 overall for Clemson, 2-0 in its road assignments. However, the Tigers’ lowest previous total was 58. In other words, the ‘over’ would be 3-2 instead of 1-4 if they had seen previous totals in the low 40s.

Kickoff from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The weather forecast for Friday night calls for clear conditions, 5-10 mph winds and a low temperature of 52 degrees.

Boise State at New Mexico

Boise State (4-0 SU, 1-3 ATS) will be in revenge mode Friday night in Albuquerque, where it faces a New Mexico team that came to the blue carpet and stunned the Broncos in a 31-24 win as a 31-point road underdog last season. As of Wednesday, most books had BSU installed as a 17-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 61. The Lobos were +575 on the money line (risk $100 to win $575).

Bryan Harsin’s team has wins at UL Lafayette (45-10), vs. Washington St. (31-28), at Oregon St. (38-24) and vs. Utah St. (21-10). BSU has failed to cover the number in three straight games, including last week’s win over the Aggies as a 24.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Brett Rypien completed 15-of-24 passes for 163 yards and two TDs without an interception. Jeremy McNichols rushed 30 times for 132 yards while also catching six passes for 73 yards and one TD. Cedric Wilson connected with McNichols on a 61-yard TD pass off a trick play in the first quarter. Wilson also had two catches for 46 yards and one TD, while Thomas Sperbeck had five receptions for 64 yards and one TD. Boise St.’s defense gave up 358 yards, but it stopped Utah St. 15 times on 19 third-down attempts.

Rypien has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,024 yards with a 6/3 TD-INT ratio. Sperbeck is his favorite target, hauling in 24 receptions for 431 yards and three TDs. Wilson has 14 catches for 265 yards and two TDs, while McNichols has 16 receptions for 216 yards and three TDs. McNichols has rushed for 504 yards and seven TDs with a 5.7 YPC average.

Boise State owns an 8-5 spread record in 13 games as a home favorite since Harsin took over for Chris Petersen in 2014.

New Mexico (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) has compiled a 6-9 spread record in 15 games as a home underdog during Bob Davie’s five-year tenure. Davie has a 20-34 record as UNM’s head coach, taking the program to its first bowl game since 2007 last season when the Lobos finished 7-6. They lost 45-37 as nine-point home ‘dogs to Arizona in the New Mexico Bowl in their own stadium. I doubt I’m on an island solo with this thought -- let’s hope the Lobos get another bowl invite this year, so we can at least get one more year with Davie on the sidelines and NOT in an analyst chair chafing us beyond belief.

New Mexico has beaten South Dakota (48-21) and San Jose St. (48-41) at home while dropping a pair of road games at New Mexico St. (32-31) and at Rutgers (37-28). The Lobos bested the Spartans last week but were unable to cover the 10.5-point spread. UNM was actually ahead of the number on four different occasions, only to give up a 14-yard TD pass with 31 ticks left to allow San Jose St. to post the backdoor cover. The Lobos had taken a 41-20 advantage late in the third quarter on Austin Ocasio’s 37-yard pick-six. After the Spartans answered with 14 straight points to slice the deficit to 41-34, UNM’s Richard McQuarley scored on a six-yard TD run with 2:54 remaining.

New Mexico averaged 7.0 YPC and produced 446 rushing yards against San Jose St. Teriyon Gipson paced the balanced attack with 156 yards and one TD on just 11 carries. Tyrone Owens added 117 rushing yards and one TD on 16 attempts, while McQuarley had 83 yards and three scores on 16 totes.

New Mexico is second in the nation rushing yards per game (347.0 YPG). Gipson has run for a team-high 399 yards and has five TDs and a 12.9 YPC average. Owens has rushed for 308 yards and one score with a 5.5 YPC average, while McQuarley has 202 rushing yards, a 5.0 YPC average and a team-high seven TD runs.

Lamar Jordan and Austin Apodaca have split time at the QB position, but Apodaca is now ‘out’ for an indefinite period of time with a collarbone injury. Apodaca has completed 29-of-52 throws (55.8%) for 372 yards with a 3/2 TD-INT ratio. He has 122 rushing yards and one TD on 20 attempts. Jordan has completed 12-of-19 passes (63.2%) for 129 yards with a 0/1 TD-INT ratio. Jordan has rushed for 148 yards and one TD on 29 carries.

Boise State will be without senior CB Jonathan Moxey in the first half due to a targeting suspension from last week’s win over Utah St. Moxey, who has 31 career starts, has recorded 20 tackles, one TFL and three PBU this year. Dylan Sumner-Gardner, who was BSU’s likely starter at safety, is poised to make his season debut after serving a four-game suspension.

The ‘over’ is a perfect 4-0 for the Lobos with combined scores of 69, 63, 65 and 89 points.

The ‘under’ is 3-1 overall for the Broncos, 1-1 in their two road contests.

The CBS Sports College Network will have the broadcast from University Stadium at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

There are five undefeated teams remaining ATS: Western Michigan and Colorado are 5-0 ATS, while Miami, Ohio St. and Toledo are 4-0 versus the number.

Worst ATS squads: Arkansas State (0-4 ATS going into Wednesday’s home game vs. Georgia Southern), FAU (0-5), Bowling Green (0-5), Oregon (0-4-1) and UConn (0-4-1).

Coach of the Year candidates

1-Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
2-Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M)
3-Bobby Petrino (Louisville)
4-P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan)
5-Mike MacIntyre (Colorado)

Speaking of the Buffaloes, star QB Sefo Liufau is ‘questionable’ at Southern Cal due to an ankle sprain that has caused him to miss the last two games. Liufau completed 71.1 percent of his throws for 768 yards and six TDs without an interception in the CU’s first three contests. Steven Montez, a redshirt freshman, has answered the call, however. In his first career start, Montez threw for 333 yards and three TDs in a 41-38 upset win at Oregon as a 14-point underdog. For the season, Montez has connected on 63.2 percent of his passes for 743 yards with an 8/2 TD-INT ratio. He also has 193 rushing yards and one TD while averaging 5.8 YPC. The Buffs are 4.5-point ‘dogs at USC.

Arizona QB Anu Solomon has missed four consecutive games with a knee injury and remains a question mark for Saturday’s game at Utah. Brandon Dawkins has played well with Solomon out, throwing for 698 yards with a 4/1 TD-INT ratio. Dawkins has also rushed for a team-high 435 yards and seven TDs with an 8.9 YPC average. However, Dawkins is also ‘questionable’ this week (ribs). RB Nick Wilson (273 yards, 5.6 YPC & 3 TDs) is also a question mark along with defensive star DeAndre’ Miller, who had 13 tackles, four TFL’s and two sacks in the Wildcats’ first three games.

Utah is also dealing with a number of injuries. Three WRs are ‘questionable,’ including Tim Patrick, who has a team-high 24 catches for 429 yards and five TDs. Also, star DT Lowell Lotulelei, a first-team All Pac-12 selection last season, missed last week’s 28-23 loss at Cal and is ‘questionable’ vs. AU. Lotulelei has nine tackles, two TFL’s and one sack in four games.

East Carolina QB Phillip Nelson is ‘questionable’ at USF. The transfer from Minnesota has played extremely well for the Pirates, completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 1,753 yards with an 11/4 TD-INT ratio.

It’s time for this space to offer a little praise for Troy second-year head coach Neal Brown. After four losing seasons over the last five years, Brown has the Trojans with a 4-1 record both SU and ATS. The only Troy loss was a 30-24 decision at unbeaten Clemson. The Trojans’ lone non-cover came in their opener, a 57-17 win over Austin Peay as 41-point home favorites. They won outright by a 37-31 count at Southern Miss as 9.5-point road underdogs in Week 3. Following a 34-13 victory at Idaho last weekend, Troy has an open date before hosting Georgia State.

College Football Game of the Day
By Covers.com

Clemson Tigers at Boston College Eagles (+17, 42.5)

Clemson once again has put itself in the driver's seat in the ACC and will try to maintain its momentum against the conference doormats when it visits Boston College on Friday. The third-ranked Tigers, who served notice with their 42-36 home win over then-No. 4 Louisville last weekend, will try to extend a pair of impressive winning streaks - their 19-game regular-season run and an 11-game string in ACC play.

On the other side of the coin are the Eagles, who have dropped 10 straight conference affairs, including a 49-0 rout at the hands of Virginia Tech on Sept. 17. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is not looking too far ahead, knowing how much of a struggle it was to get out of Chestnut Hill the last time the Tigers paid a visit in 2014, when his team eked out a 17-13 triumph.

"They always play tough and every time we go up there, it is always a battle," he told reporters this week. "We've had two or three times up there that we've been fortunate to come away with a win, especially a couple of years ago." Boston College followed its ugly loss to the Hokies with consecutive non-conference victories, including a 35-3 rout of Buffalo on Saturday.

LINE: Clemson opened as a 16.5-point road favorite and was bet up as high as -17.5. The total has moved down from 45 to 42.5 points with money on the Under.

INJURY REPORT: Clemson - QB D. Watson (Probable), CB D. Johnson (Probable), DE A. Bryant (Questionable), CB A. Baker (Questionable) / Boston College - WR C. Garrison (Out)

WEATHER: The forecast for Alumni Stadium is calling for clear skies and winds blowing south at 4 mph.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Obviously a very difficult spot for Clemson coming off their epic game versus Louisville last week. Now they have to travel on a short week to take on a very good Boston College defense. But as good as BC is on defense, they're equally as bad on offense. Clemson is going to struggle to score, in my opinion, so the 17 points on the road seems a bit high. But it's always tough backing Boston College because their offense is so inept. We'll see, but you have to assume Clemson comes into this game a bit flat, so I believe BC is a live home dog." -- Peter Childs, supervisor of risk management for Sportsbook.ag.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Clemson is now 5-0 SU (just 2-3 ATS) after its big 42-36 win over the Louisville Cardinals last week. Boston College looks much improved from last season and comes into Week 6 sitting at 3-2 after hammering Buffalo 35-3. The Tigers offense averages 35.2 PPG, while BC posts only 23.4 thus far, but these conference opponents are very evenly matched on the defensive side of the ball, with Clemson conceding 16 PPG and the Eagles allowing just 17.2." - Covers Experts AAA Sports.

ABOUT CLEMSON (5-0, 2-0 ACC, 3-2 ATS): As quarterback Deshaun Watson goes, so go the Tigers, and the junior recorded season highs of 306 yards and five touchdowns in the thriller against Louisville. He also tacked on a season-best 91 rushing yards and has been sacked only twice this season, giving him enough time to consistently find the likes of Mike Williams (25 catches, 373 yards, two TDs) and Ray-Ray McCloud (24, 271, two). Senior linebacker Ben Boulware is coming off a monster performance in which he registered a career-high 18 tackles (three for losses), a fumble recovery and a pass deflection - good enough to earn him ACC Player of the Week honors at his position.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (3-2, 0-2, 2-2 ATS): Although the level of opponent had a lot to do with it, the Eagles have to be pleased with their improvement on offense, as they averaged 445 total yards in their last two games after being held to 124 by the Hokies. Patrick Towles threw four TD passes with no interceptions in the wins over Wagner and Buffalo after recording two scores through the air and four picks in the first three games of the season. The Eagles lead FBS teams in total defense (202 yards allowed per game) and are seventh in rushing defense (78).

TRENDS:

* Underdog is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings.
* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Tigers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Eagles are 1-5-2 ATS in their last eight home games.

CONSENSUS: 69 percent of side bets are on Clemson while 71 percent of total bets are on the Over.

NCAA Football Report
By Steve Merril

Clemson at Boston College (+17.5, 43)

This is not a good situation for Clemson as they must travel on a short week after a huge home win versus Louisville last week. However, my power ratings make Clemson an 18-point favorite, so there is no value on Boston College from a numbers perspective despite catching the Tigers at the perfect time.

Clemson is a perfect 5-0 SU on the season after their come from behind win over Louisville last Saturday night. That big win sets Clemson up in a natural letdown spot for tonight’s game at Boston College. The Tigers are on a short week with travel, so they are unlikely to be at their best in this game. Clemson’s defense has been fantastic this season; the Tigers are only giving up 16 points per game on 4.1 yards per play versus offenses that average 32.3 points per game on 6.0 yards per play.

Boston College is only 3-2 SU on the season despite playing a very weak schedule. In their lone game against a good opponent, the Eagles lost 49-0 at Virginia Tech as just a 6.5-point underdog, being outgained 476-124 in total yards. Boston College’s biggest issue remains on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles are only averaging 23.4 points per game on 5.1 yards per play despite playing defenses that give up 27.2 points per game on 5.4 yards per play. It’s hard to imagine Boston College having much offensive success against Clemson’s defense in this game. Boston College will have to rely on a solid defense that is allowing just 17.2 points per game and just 3.6 yards per play this season (versus opponents that average 21.4 ppg and 4.7 yppl).