What Though the Odds: Notre Dame Football Betting Info for the Boston College Game
The #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be featured on NBC when they face the Boston College Eagles in South Bend, Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 PM ET.
Some folks may have turned their televisions off prematurely as the game was trending in the direction of a blowout early on with Notre Dame leading the Miami Hurricanes 17-3 at halftime. Miami received the ball after halftime and their first second-half drive ended after three plays and negative eight yards. Notre Dame subsequently scored again on a 3-play 30-yard drive which made the score 24-3.
During Miami’s next drive is when momentum began to shift. Hurricanes’ quarterback Darian Mensah completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Elijah Lofton before Notre Dame safety Luke Talich stripped the ball out. The fumble was recovered by Miami running back Mark Fletcher, but that wasn’t the cause of the momentum swing. Instead, it was an injury that occurred during the scramble for the football. Irish defensive back Leonard Moore was poked in the eye which caused him to miss the next couple of series. Miami scored on their next two possessions, narrowing Notre Dame’s lead to 24-17.
The Irish followed that up with a 3-play drive that resulted in nine yards and a punt. At that moment, the Hurricanes had seized much of the momentum and were all but guaranteed a third-straight scoring drive. That was until Talich stepped up and made a game changing interception with 1:49 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Irish offense fed off that energy by moving the ball on 8 plays for 51 yards and a touchdown which increased their lead to 14 points.
Miami refused to quit, however. Mensah led them down the field for a touchdown after a seven-play 75-yard drive to bring the game back within reach at 31-24. Notre Dame had a chance to ice the game in its next drive, but kicker Spencer Porath missed a 53-yard field goal attempt.
A proverbial layer of fog mixed with doubt began to creep throughout the Notre Dame Stadium bleachers as Irish fans were beginning to wonder if the Irish players had exhausted all of their energy too early. That wasn’t the case on the Notre Dame sideline though as the team was prepared for struggle. It was something Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had prepared his players for.
“We knew they weren’t going to go down without a fight,” Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr said following the game. “Coming into halftime, that was the message. We were going to hit a storm at some point. Don’t flinch. Keep going. We’ve got this. If we can just play one play at a time and do it to the best of our abilities, you are going to get the results you see tonight.”
One player that obviously paid attention to Freeman’s message all week was Talich. Not only did he intercept a game changing pass just as Notre Dame’s lead fell to seven points during the third quarter, but he also made a game ending play late in the fourth quarter that will live in infamy.
“The quarterback was out of the pocket scrambling around,” Talich said of Miami’s failed 4th down attempt from the Irish’s 18-yard line. “I took my eyes off my guy for a second and then he ended up going vertical. I followed him on the field and when I turned around it was a back-shoulder fade. He went up to make the catch, and we were always taught to play through the hands and finish the play. So that’s what I did and was able to get the ball out.”
Talich’s heroics all but sealed Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over Miami. The victory also marked the 10th time in Notre Dame history that the Irish defeated an AP No. 1-ranked team. The victory over the top-ranked Hurricanes put them second in college football history in wins over AP No. 1-ranked teams, behind Alabama (11). Next up: Boston College
Key Injuries
Notre Dame
WR Quincy Porter (knee), OL Charles Jagusah (arm), OL Chris Terek (knee), DL Christopher Burgess Jr. (tibia), DL Tiki Hola (knee), LB Ko’o Kia (shoulder), DB Chaz Smith (wrist), S Brauntae Johnson (foot) and CB DJ McKinney (ankle), and LB Drayk Bowen (ankle) are out. DL Francis Brewu (knee) and DL Jason Onye (knee) remain questionable.
Boston College
OL Michael Crounse (leg) is questionable. RB Evan Dickens (knee) is out.
Betting Trends:
- Notre Dame Football is 19-9 all-time against Boston College
- College Football National Championship odds: Notre Dame +400
- CJ Carr to win the Heisman +260
- Notre Dame is 1-4 ATS in its last five games
- The total has gone over in five of Notre Dame’s last 6 games.
Line (Point Spread) and Total (Over/Under)
Boston College (4-5) (5-4 ATS) at #4 Notre Dame (8-1) (4-5 ATS)
Notre Dame secured a two-for-one last weekend when the Irish not only defeated its nemesis Miami but also defeated the No. 1 team in the country. There has been a plethora of teams that have shared similar success so far this season only to have a severe letdown the following week. During week 7 alone, five of the top seven ranked teams lost. Three of those teams enjoyed the same feeling of historical success as Notre Dame did last Saturday night in South Bend.
The potential of his players taking Boston College lightly this weekend after having saved their playoff future the weekend prior is something Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is aware of.
“I know it’s going to get brought up, I’m sure, by somebody about the post-big-game-win letdowns,” Freeman said at Monday’s press conference. “It’s easy to say, and I’m talking for our entire team, it’s easy to say that’s not going to be us. But it’s a real thing, and if you do enough studying on it, there’s an issue with after big wins and teams having letdowns the next week.”
On the surface, Boston College is a team that could easily be overlooked as the Eagles currently have just four wins with five losses on the season. Moreover, their metrics conclude that Boston College is an average to below average team in nearly every statistical category.
For starters, Boston College has one of the worst passing offenses in college football. The Eagles are currently ranked 115th in passing offense averaging 185.6 yards per game. So far this season, Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie has completed 131 of 229 attempts for 1,616 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s been sacked 22 times.
McKenzie earns most of his NIL money on the ground, however, and that is also the engine of Boston College’s team. McKenzie has carried the ball 145 times for 676 yards (4.7 YPC) and five rushing touchdowns. The Eagles are ranked 54th in the nation in rushing offense averaging 165.9 rushing yards per game.
Unfortunately for McKenzie and the Eagles’ offense, they’ll be facing the best defense they’ve seen all season and it’s not even close. Notre Dame’s defense is ranked 31st in passing efficiency defense allowing opposing quarterbacks a rating of 120.62. The Irish are also ranked 8th in passing yards allowed, limiting offenses to 164.8 passing yards per game. Not to be outdone, Notre Dame’s rush defense is currently 9th at stopping the run. The Irish are allowing opponents just 87.1 yards rushing per game.
The discrepancies found in those metrics are exactly why this weekend could serve as a potential letdown for Notre Dame. One remedy to a letdown is understanding what it takes to prevent it.
Following the win over Miami, Freeman said he researched what some of the coaches had to say about why their team may have experienced letdowns like the one Notre Dame is hoping to avoid.
“It’s ‘we weren’t disciplined’, ‘we didn’t have a great week of prep’, ‘we’re not mature,'” Freeman explained. “It’s our job as coaches to make sure we’re prepared. You don’t blame the players. You mandate that we prepare in a way that doesn’t allow us to have a letdown.”
The Pick
Notre Dame’s win over then-No. 1 Miami is not the only reason this weekend should be considered a letdown spot. The other reason could be that the Irish are already looking ahead to its game against #25 SMU next weekend. And after all the letdowns that multiple teams have allowed thus far this season combined with Boston College’s losing record it seems a little odd that Notre Dame is favored by a whopping 29-points including a total set at 52.5.
In most cases Boston College would be the obvious pick here because this is indeed a sandwich spot for Notre Dame. They’re stuck in the middle of a big win while also having a ranked opponent on the horizon. The one reason to fade the obvious pick this week is preparation. Not only does Freeman understand the importance of winning this weekend, but so do his players.
One of the stars from this past weekend’s game said as much following practice on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ve been telling ourselves Miami is in the past now,” Tionne Gray said. “It’s time to move on. We’ve got to bring that same intensity, the same focus to Boston College and on to the next. In reality, it was fun in the moment, but the next day came and there’s nothing we can say now. It’s in the past, so it’s really time to move on and focus on the next challenge, which is the most important challenge.” Pick: Notre Dame -29
Behind Enemy Lines Week 11:
Wisconsin (6-3) (5-4 ATS) at Maryland (3-6) (4-5 ATS)
The Badgers unarmed the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 31-10. The Terrapins outscored Purdue by 10 points in the second half to win at Purdue, 34-29. Wisconsin’s last five games have gone under the total. Maryland has lost four straight home games. Wisconsin is -8.5 with a total of 43. Pick: Wisconsin -8.5
Tulane (4-5) (3-6 ATS) at Rice (1-8) (4-5 ATS)
Tulane was humiliated at home by Tulsa, 60-10. Rice was cooked at North Texas, 52-23. Tulane’s last three games have gone over the total. Rice has lost eight straight games. Rice is -2.5 with a total of 48. Pick: Over 48
Washington (5-4) (3-6 ATS) at Michigan State (3-6) (6-3 ATS)
The Huskies outscored Penn State 19-0 in the second half of last week’s game, but it wasn’t enough as the Nittany Lions still managed to win, 28-25. Michigan State won in a slugfest at in-state rival Michigan,15-6. Washington has covered the spread in its last four road games. Michigan State’s last three games have gone under the total. Washington is -3.5 with a 43. Pick: Washington -3.5
Purdue (3-6) (3-6 ATS) at #15 Iowa (7-2) (5-3 ATS)
The Boilermakers were derailed at home by Maryland, 34-29. Iowa won at Northwestern, 24-10. Purdue has lost three straight games. Iowa’s last three games have gone under. Iowa is -17 with a 47.5. Pick: Iowa -17
Louisville (6-3) (6-3 ATS) at North Carolina (5-4) (6-3 ATS)
Louisville removed the stingers from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 44-17. North Carolina continued to improve on the season by defeating UConn, 38-21. Louisville has won four straight games. The Tarheels last three games have gone over the total. Louisville is -3.5 with a total of 60. Pick: Louisville -3.5
Stanford (4-5) (3-6 ATS) at Virginia Tech (6-3) (5-4 ATS)
Stanford will be returning from an off week. During the week prior, the Cardinal added its fifth loss of the year after being smacked around by Louisville, 52-24. Stanford’s defense surrendered 545 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech was stampeded at SMU, 51-28. Stanford has lost its last 10 road games. Virginia Tech’s last five home games have gone over the total. Virginia Tech is -14.5 with a total of 58. Pick: Virginia Tech -14.5
Baylor (6-3) (7-2 ATS) at #10 BYU (7-2) (6-3 ATS)
Baylor defeated Iowa State, 42-31. BYU lost the Holy War at Utah, 28-20. Baylor has won its last three games against the spread. BYU has won its last 10 home games. BYU is -7.5 with a total of 49. Pick: Baylor +7.5
Navy (3-6) (3-6 ATS) – BYE
The Midshipmen added a 42-35 win over Temple as they head into their off week. Navy limited Temple to 45 rushing yards on 21 carries. Next game: Memphis
Duke (7-2) (7-2 ATS) at #7 Miami (8-1) (6-3 ATS)
Duke dominated NC State, 41-3. Miami earned its first loss of the season at Notre Dame, 31-24. Duke’s last four games have gone under the total. Miami has won its last seven home games, and its last four home games have gone over the total. Miami is -13.5 with a total of 54.5. Pick: Miami -13.5
Wake Forest #13 (8-1) (7-2 ATS) at SMU (7-2) (5-4 ATS)
Wake Forest was dominant against Merrimack winning the scrimmage, 77-0. SMU won its shootout against Virginia Tech, 51-28. Wake Forest has covered the spread in its last six games. SMU has won 10 straight home games. SMU is -1 with a total of 61. Pick: SMU -1
Syracuse (4-5) (5-4 ATS) at NC State (4-5) (3-6 ATS)
The Orange lost a close game to Clemson, 18-13. NC State was a no-show against Duke, 41-3. Syracuse’s last three road games have gone over the total. Syracuse is -2.5 with a total of 53.5. NC State’s last three home games have gone under the total. Pick: Syracuse -2.5
Daniel Mingea III (pronounced Ming-E as the name gets butchered a lot) began following Notre Dame football in 1993 at the age of 13. He later served as a sports writer for The Vermilion newspaper while at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and parlayed that into a recruiting analyst role for LSU football with Tiger Rag magazine and TigerSportsDigest. Shortly after graduation, he put down the pen and the pad for a gun and a badge to become a probation officer in New Orleans. Three major surgeries set Mingea back forcing him to step away from the field of law enforcement. Now he is focused on getting back to a few of his passions, Notre Dame football and writing.
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