Wake Forest at Boston College
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Match-up: Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Boston College Eagles
Venue: Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (FieldTurf)
Time/TV: 8:00 PM ET - ESPN2
Line: Boston College -3, Over/Under 48.5
Last Meeting: 2012, Wake Forest (-3.5) 28-14 vs. Boston College
There are not many wordsmiths around that can write a lede to get the casual football fan fired up for Friday's ACC showdown in Chestnut Hill between Boston College and Wake Forest. All I can say is there's a side and a total and, well, isn't that all we need?
As of Wednesday morning, most betting shops had Boston College (1-0 straight up, 0-1 against the spread) installed as a three-point home favorite with the total ranging from 48.5 to 50. Gamblers can back the Demon Deacons on the money line for a +135 return (risk $100 to win $135).
Wake Forest (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) opened the season with a 31-7 win over Presbyterian but failed to cover the number as a 38-point home favorite. The 38 combined points fell 'under' the 51-point total.
Senior quarterback Tanner Price threw for 219 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He also had a three-yard TD run. Price didn't have his favorite target, WR Michael Campanaro, due to a hamstring injury.
Campanaro was a second-team All-ACC selection last season despite missing a pair of games and parts of another. He finished 2012 with 79 catches for 763 yards and six TDs. Campanaro has been upgraded to 'probable' Thursday and is expected to start.
Jim Grobe's team produced 408 yards of total offense and limited Presbyterian to just 151 yards. The Deacs coughed up a pair of fumbles, but the defense created six turnovers and had three interceptions, including a 29-yard pick-six for sophomore linebacker Brandon Chubb.
The Steve Addazio Era at BC got off to a rough start as the Eagles trailed Villanova 14-7 at halftime in their opener last Saturday. But senior QB Chase Rettig led his team on a pair of third-quarter TD drives and BC eventually captured a 24-14 win in a non-covering victory as a 15-point favorite. The 38 combined points remained 'under' the 47.5-point total.
Rettig connected on 23-of-30 throws for 285 yards and two TDs without an interception. Senior WR Alex Amidon, a first-team All-ACC selection in 2012, hauled in 13 receptions for 146 yards, including a 49-yard scoring strike from Rettig. Senior RB Andre Williams rushed for 114 yards and one TD on 23 carries.
BC had 413 yards of total offense compared to 355 for 'Nova. The Eagles won the turnover battle 4-1, intercepting the Wildcats three times.
Since 2010, BC has limped to a 3-7 spread record in 10 games as a home favorite. Since 2007, Wake Forest has been abysmal as a road underdog, going 7-15 ATS.
From 2007-2010, BC won four in a row over Wake both SU and ATS. But the Deacs have won the last two encounters, including last year's 28-14 win as 3 ½-point home 'chalk.' The 42 combined points stayed below the 52.5-point total to produce the third consecutive 'under' in the head-to-head series.
Price torched the Eagles last year by completing 39-of-57 passes for 293 yards and three TDs. Campanaro had 16 receptions for 123 yards and three TDs.
Rettig threw for 357 yards and one TD in the losing effort, but he was intercepted three times. Amidon made 10 catches for 130 yards and one TD.
ESPN2 will provide television coverage at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets
BC finished 2012 with a 2-10 SU record and a 4-8 ATS mark. The Eagles brought back eight starters on offense and 10 on defense.
Wake went 5-7 both SU and ATS last season. The Deacs returned seven starters on offense and eight on defense.
BC has lost WR Bobby Swigert to a season-ending injury. Swigert had 23 receptions for 268 yards and one TD last year. He had four catches for 56 yards in last year's loss to Wake. Swigert also had a 12-yard TD pass on a trick play.
Florida starting OG Jon Halapio has officially been declared 'out' at Miami. RB Matt Brown will start but his cardio is a major question mark after he missed nearly all of August with a viral infection. The heat is obviously going to be major issue with the noon Eastern kickoff. Therefore, expect to see Mack Brown get the bulk of the carries for UF. Will Muschamp has indicated that true freshman Kelvin Taylor will see increased playing time. 'Baby Fred,' the son of the Gator legend, had fumbling issues during training camp and that's why he didn't play until late in the fourth quarter vs. Toledo. Taylor rushed five times for 43 yards against the Rockets, demonstrating an explosive burst through the hole similar to how his Pops used to do it at The Swamp from 1994-97.
Kent St. RB Dri Archer has been upgraded to 'probable' vs. Bowling Green. He left last week's game with an ankle injury after rushing just three times for 10 yards. Archer rushed for 1,429 yards and 16 TDs last season, averaging 9.0 yards per carry.
Middle Tennessee QB Logan Kilgore has been upgraded to 'probable' at North Carolina.
Coaches on the Hot Seat:
1-Lame Chafin' (Southern Cal)
2-Bobby Hauck (UNLV)
3-Paul Pasqualoni (UConn)
4-Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
5-Tim Beckman (Illinois)
NCAAF Week 2
Wake Forest/Boston College split last 10 games; Wake won last couple meetings, 27-19/28-14- they're 3-2 in last five visits here, with losses by 3-10 points. Underdogs are 6-4 vs spread in series, 3-2 here. Since '07, Deacons are 7-15 as road underdogs. BC has ten defensive starters back; they were down 14-7 at half to I-AA Villanova last week, won 24-14 in game, forcing four turnovers (TY 413-355). Eagles are 3-7 in last 10 tilts as a home favorite. Both teams have experienced QBs and three senior starters on offensive line.
Home side won both Central Florida-FIU games last two years; Knights avenged upset loss in '11 with 33-20 win (-17) LY (TY 431-306). Over last decade, UCF is 9-15 as road favorite, 2-5 last two years- they've got game at Penn State next week, will probably overlook this some. FIU is 9-6 as home dog since '06, but they were 1-4 LY- they lost seven starters on both sides of ball, including all five starters on OL. UCF has one of more underrated QBs in country (Bortles, 15 starts); they averaged 11.8 yards/pass attempt last week, converted 9-14 on third down in waxing Akron 38-7 (-23.5).
Armadillosports.com
Wake Forest vs. Boston College Point Spread and Pick – ACC squads clash Friday night
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
The Boston College Eagles and Wake Forest Demon Deacons each get their first real test of the season at Alumni Stadium on Friday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Both ACC teams failed to cover the spread in opening wins over FCS opponents, and both games stayed UNDER the total.
Line: Boston College -3
Line movement and notes: This spread opened at BC -3.5 at the Wynn, but it was as low as 2.5 when some books posted numbers. Bettors for the most part have taken the points, and as of Wednesday, there were 2.5s and 3s around town.
History and trends: Wake Forest has won and covered the spread the last two years against Boston College after the Eagles were 4-0 SU and ATS the previous four meetings.
The UNDER is 3-0 in the last three meetings between the teams. The average total points scored over that stretch is 41.3.
The Demon Deacons are 0-4 ATS in their last four games going back to last year. The UNDER is 7-1 in their last eight, as they’ve put up just 16.1 PPG.
The UNDER is 6-1 in Boston College’s last seven contests, with the Eagles scoring 16.3 PPG.
Boston College outlook: Boston College (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) got a win in the debut of coach Steve Addazio, 24-14, as a 15-point home favorites over Villanova. The former Temple head man was happy to get the victory, but it’s never good to trail an FCS school at halftime (14-7), even if Nova is highly ranked. Senior quarterback Chase Rettig was 23-of-30 for 285 yards, 146 of them to favorite target Alex Amidon. The running game had a good start with Andre Williams (114 yards), but he sat out the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
The Eagles lost, 28-14, at Wake Forest last year as 3.5 point dogs and were 1-7 SU (2-6 ATS) in the conference. Even playing at home, they’re going to need a healthy Williams against a Wake Forest defense that gave up just two first downs last week against Presbyterian and should be solidly improved on last year’s finish (432.9 YPG, 88th nationally).
Wake Forest outlook: The Demon Deacons (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) had an easier time with Presbyterian last Thursday (31-7 win), but were expected to as 38-point home chalk. Wake Forest actually fell behind, 7-0, before reeling off 31 unanswered points. Quarterback Tanner Price brings a lot of experience as a four-year starter and had 219 passing yards last week even with last year’s top wideout, Michael Campanaro (763 yards), sitting out with a hamstring injury as a precaution. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Williams had 143 yards in his absence, but the team needs a reliable No. 2 receiver.
Coach Jim Grobe will be happy to have Campanaro back, but the ground game will also be crucial with several rushing candidates and Boston College allowing 197 yards (5.5 ypc) against Villanova. The Eagles struggled on run defense last year (214.1 YPG, 111th nationally) and questions remain along the d-line.
Boston College’s key injuries:
Running back Williams (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but says he will play.
Wake Forest’s key injuries:
Receiver Campanaro (hamstring) is probable.
The Linemakers lean: Wake Forest has won and covered the last two meetings after losing four straight to BC, but this game is a coin flip. Both teams have so many issues that it is truly is hard to take a side. Do you take the team that went 2-10 last year like BC, a team that trailed Villanova at the half before coming back to win, 24-14, but failing to cover the 15 points? Or do you take a team like Wake Forest that took a step backwards last season and failed to cover 38-points against Presbyterian after going down, 7-0, to start game? The better angle to look at here might be the UNDER, the only play we can endorse.
Game of the Day: Wake Forest at Boston College
By Covers.com
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Boston College Eagles (-3, 48.5)
Wake Forest and Boston College look to build on season-opening wins over FCS opponents when the teams begin ACC play in Chestnut Hill on Friday. Boston College marked coach Steve Addazio’s debut with a 24-14 win over Villanova last week, while Wake Forest forced six turnovers and allowed only two first downs in a 31-7 win over Presbyterian. Nine of the last 10 meetings in the series have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
Boston College finished 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play last season, but there were some encouraging signs in the win over Villanova. Senior linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis had a team-high 12 tackles to lead the Eagles’ defense, which finished 100th in the nation in total yards allowed last season. The unit needs another strong performance against the Demon Deacons and freshman wide receiver Jonathan Williams, who had five catches for 143 yards in his first game.
LINE: Boston College opened at -1 and has been bet up to a field-goal favorite. The total opened at 48 and has climb half a point to 48.5.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid 50s with clear skies and winds blowing SSW at 4 mph.
ABOUT WAKE FOREST (1-0): The Demon Deacons, picked to finish fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division, expect to have All-ACC receiver Michael Campanaro back after he missed last Saturday’s game with a sore hamstring. Campanaro’s return would be a welcome boost for a Wake Forest team that ranked 116th nationally in scoring last season and failed to establish the run in the season opener. The Demon Deacons are hoping for a bounce-back effort from sophomore kicker Chad Hedlund, who missed two of three field goal attempts against Presbyterian.
ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0): Senior running back Andre Williams carried 23 times for 114 yards last week, but he left the game with a hamstring injury and could miss Friday’s contest. If Williams is forced to sit out, the Eagles will rely heavily on quarterback Chase Rettig and wide receiver Alex Amidon, who had a career-high 13 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown against Villanova. Redshirt freshman Bobby Wolford, who switched from linebacker to fullback last month, made an immediate impact last week with 84 receiving yards and a touchdown.
TRENDS:
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last six meetings in Boston College.
* Demon Deacons are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 road games.
* Under is 19-7-1 in Eagles' last 27 conference games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Boston College has lost two straight to Wake Forest following four consecutive victories.
2. After playing a total of 22 true freshmen in his first 12 years at Wake Forest, coach Jim Grobe used 10 first-year players against Presbyterian.
3. Boston College senior K Nate Freese has made 52 of his 63 career field-goal attempts.
Friday College Action
By Sportsbook.ag
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS (1-0) at BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (1-0)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Boston College -3 (-120) & 48
Opening Line & Total: Eagles -3 (-115) & 48.5
Since the Eagles arrived in the ACC, the two teams have split their 10 matchups, with the Demon Deacons holding the 6-4 ATS advantage. Boston College was able to get a 24-14 victory in their season opener over FCS school Villanova, but it was definitely a struggle. The Eagles found themselves down 14-7 in the first quarter after the Wildcats pulled off an incredible fake punt for a touchdown. However, the offense eventually got rolling behind quarterback Chase Rettig. The senior completed 23-of-30 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Eagles escape with a victory. Not only did the offense do a great job of passing the ball, but RB Andre Williams gave them 114 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He left with an apparent hamstring injury, but is still expected to play in the ACC opener. The defense of Boston College got things going as well, shutting out the Villanova offense for the final three quarters of the game. The secondary was especially key, intercepting three passes and giving up only 158 yards. The one negative was the 197 rushing yards allowed, but a nearly quarter of those came on that 47-yard fake punt.
However, the defense will have to step up even more, as they are going up against a Demon Deacons offense that has some playmakers. One of those playmakers is freshman receiver Jonathan Williams, who had 143 receiving yards on five catches in the 31-7 season opening victory over FCS school Presbyterian. The 6-foot-4 freshman from Atlanta gives quarterback Tanner Price a big receiver that can go up and catch the ball at its highest point. He complements a rushing attack that had 189 yards in the opener, doing it by committee with eight players gaining more than a dozen yards. Like their offense, they have playmakers on defense, like sophomore LB Brandon Chubb who took back an interception 29 yards for a touchdown to go along with seven tackles. The defense had a dominating performance, allowing only 151 total yards of offense, including just 49 through the air. The Eagles were just 2-6 ATS in ACC play last year, but were 2-1 ATS as a favorite. The Demon Deacons were 2-3 ATS on the road and 4-4 ATS in conference games.
Tanner Price was outstanding in Wake's 28-14 victory over Boston College last season, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns. The Demon Deacons completely dominated the game last season, forcing four turnovers while also winning the time of possession by a wide margin of 34:46 to 25:14. Last year, WR Michael Campanaro pulled down three touchdown catches against the Eagles and finished with 16 receptions for 123 yards. He was inactive versus Presbyterian because of a hamstring injury, but said he is back to 100 percent this week and looking to have a game similar to last season. While Williams is the tall receiver, Campanaro is the short speedster at 5-foot-11. These two will complement each other very well and could prove to be one of the best receiving duos in the conference.
With their performance in week one, Wake Forest will enter the game with the No. 1 ranked defense in both total yards as well as pass defense. Kicker Chad Hedlund was the one glaring negative though, making only one of three field goal attempts, and it will be interesting if Wake Forest’s coaching staff gives him another chance this week.
Even though it wasn’t pretty, Boston College was able to get the Steve Addazio era started on a positive note with Saturday's victory. In his career, Rettig has thrown for 6,538 yards and 37 touchdowns, and at 6-foot-3, he is able to stand in the pocket and make throws over the defensive line to his receivers. Rettig is 1-2 in his career against the Demon Deacons, and has struggled against the defense, throwing six interceptions. He must avoid turning the ball over like he did four times in the last loss to Wake, and manage the game, by letting Williams get a lot of carries in this game as well.
On defense, the Eagles are going to have their hands full with the pass-catching duo of Campanaro and Williams. With his size, Boston College is going to have to have a safety over the top at all times. Not only is Williams big, but he also has a burst of speed that allows him to create separation from the cornerback. Rettig’s favorite target is receiver Alex Amidon, as he was able to catch 13 passes for 146 yards last week. Amidon has also had major success against Wake Forest in his career, including 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Demon Deacons last season. Home field wasn’t kind to Boston College as they went 2-4 SU (but 4-2 ATS) at home. With a win on Saturday, they will have tied last season's victory total of two.
Friday Night Football: Wake Forest vs. Boston College Betting Info and Pick
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
The Boston College Eagles and Wake Forest Demon Deacons each get their first real test of the season at Alumni Stadium on Friday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Both ACC teams failed to cover the spread in opening wins over FCS opponents, and both games stayed UNDER the total.
Line: Boston College -3
Line movement and notes: This spread opened at BC -3.5 at the Wynn, but it was as low as 2.5 when some books posted numbers. Bettors for the most part have taken the points, and as of Wednesday, there were 2.5s and 3s around town.
History and trends: Wake Forest has won and covered the spread the last two years against Boston College after the Eagles were 4-0 SU and ATS the previous four meetings.
The UNDER is 3-0 in the last three meetings between the teams. The average total points scored over that stretch is 41.3.
The Demon Deacons are 0-4 ATS in their last four games going back to last year. The UNDER is 7-1 in their last eight, as they’ve put up just 16.1 PPG.
The UNDER is 6-1 in Boston College’s last seven contests, with the Eagles scoring 16.3 PPG.
Boston College outlook: Boston College (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) got a win in the debut of coach Steve Addazio, 24-14, as a 15-point home favorites over Villanova. The former Temple head man was happy to get the victory, but it’s never good to trail an FCS school at halftime (14-7), even if Nova is highly ranked. Senior quarterback Chase Rettig was 23-of-30 for 285 yards, 146 of them to favorite target Alex Amidon. The running game had a good start with Andre Williams (114 yards), but he sat out the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
The Eagles lost, 28-14, at Wake Forest last year as 3.5 point dogs and were 1-7 SU (2-6 ATS) in the conference. Even playing at home, they’re going to need a healthy Williams against a Wake Forest defense that gave up just two first downs last week against Presbyterian and should be solidly improved on last year’s finish (432.9 YPG, 88th nationally).
Wake Forest outlook: The Demon Deacons (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) had an easier time with Presbyterian last Thursday (31-7 win), but were expected to as 38-point home chalk. Wake Forest actually fell behind, 7-0, before reeling off 31 unanswered points. Quarterback Tanner Price brings a lot of experience as a four-year starter and had 219 passing yards last week even with last year’s top wideout, Michael Campanaro (763 yards), sitting out with a hamstring injury as a precaution. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Williams had 143 yards in his absence, but the team needs a reliable No. 2 receiver.
Coach Jim Grobe will be happy to have Campanaro back, but the ground game will also be crucial with several rushing candidates and Boston College allowing 197 yards (5.5 ypc) against Villanova. The Eagles struggled on run defense last year (214.1 YPG, 111th nationally) and questions remain along the d-line.
Boston College’s key injuries:
Running back Williams (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but says he will play.
Wake Forest’s key injuries:
Receiver Campanaro (hamstring) is probable.
The Linemakers lean: Wake Forest has won and covered the last two meetings after losing four straight to BC, but this game is a coin flip. Both teams have so many issues that it is truly is hard to take a side. Do you take the team that went 2-10 last year like BC, a team that trailed Villanova at the half before coming back to win, 24-14, but failing to cover the 15 points? Or do you take a team like Wake Forest that took a step backwards last season and failed to cover 38-points against Presbyterian after going down, 7-0, to start game? The better angle to look at here might be the UNDER, the only play we can endorse.