The Boston College Eagles are hoping to take advantage of the home crowd when they battle the 24th-ranked SMU Mustangs at the Fenway Bowl on Thursday. The Eagles (6-6, 3-5 ACC), who have dropped three games in a row, are looking to finish with a winning record for the first time since going 6-5 in 2020. The Mustangs (11-2, 8-0 AAC), coming off a 26-14 American Athletic Conference title game win over Tulane, can finish with their first 12-win season since going 12-1 in 1935. Their only loss that year was a 7-0 defeat to Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
The game will kick off at 11 a.m. ET from Boston's Fenway Park. SMU is averaging 285.1 passing yards per game, 19th-best in the country, while Boston College averages 189.2, 106th overall. The Mustangs are favored by 11 points in the latest SMU vs. Boston College odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over-under for total points scored is 47.5. Before making any Boston College vs. SMU picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It entered bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on SMU vs. Boston College and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for SMU vs. Boston College:
- SMU vs. Boston College spread: SMU -11
- SMU vs. Boston College over/under: 47.5 points
- SMU vs. Boston College money line: SMU -438, Boston College +333
- SMU: The Mustangs are 8-5 against the spread this season
- BC: The Eagles have hit the game total over in 9 of their last 12 games (+5.70 units)
- SMU vs. Boston College picks: See picks at SportsLine
- SMU vs. Boston College live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why SMU can cover
Among the Mustangs' go-to receivers on offense is sophomore tight end RJ Maryland. He has 34 receptions for a team-high 518 yards (15.2 average) and seven touchdowns. In the AAC title game against Tulane, he caught five passes for 56 yards. In 11 games of action, he scored a touchdown in seven of those, and finished with at least three catches in eight games. His only catch in a 38-34 win at Memphis on Nov. 18 was a 43-yard touchdown.
Another weapon on offense is sophomore wide receiver Jordan Hudson. The transfer from TCU has 28 receptions for 412 yards (14.7 average) and seven touchdowns. His best game came in a 55-0 win at Temple on Oct. 20. That day, he caught a season-high six passes for 82 yards and two TDs. He has at least one catch in 12 games, and has scored at least one TD in six games. See which team to pick here.
Why Boston College can cover
Despite the loss of four running backs and a wide receiver to the transfer portal, the Eagles still possess a number of weapons capable of making things difficult for the SMU defense. One of those is sophomore quarterback Thomas Castellanos. The dual-threat has thrown for 200 or more yards four times, including 400 yards from scrimmage in a 31-29 loss to No. 3 Florida State on Sept. 16. In that game, Castellanos completed 20 of 33 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 16 times for 95 yards and a score.
His top target is sophomore wide receiver Lewis Bond. In his third year with the team, Lewis has a team-high 48 catches for 611 yards (12.7 average) and seven touchdowns. In the regular-season finale against Miami on Nov. 24, he caught six passes for 46 yards and a score. He caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 win over Virginia on Sept. 30. A week earlier, he had scored two touchdowns on four catches for 71 yards in a 56-28 loss at Louisville. See which team to pick here.
How to make SMU vs. Boston College picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Boston College vs. SMU, and which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the SMU vs. Boston College spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished up well over $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception, and find out.
