Boston College vs Mizzou - Preview & Final Prediction
Boston College (3-0) will be playing at home against Mizzou (2-1) this Saturday at noon. The game will take place at Alumni Stadium and will be the first real test for the Eagles this season.
In our Final Predictions for the 2021 Season we said that "The 2021 Season really starts in Week Four against Mizzou." Well folks, week four has arrived and just like we thought the Eagles took advantage of their first three opponents and continued to improve in all three phases of the game. But now the preseason is over, Boston College's season truly begins this weekend and you don't want to miss this game.
The last time BC played Missouri was never. In fact, this will be the first time an SEC school will be playing at Alumni Stadium in about 34 years. The Missouri Tigers are coming off a 59-28 win over SEMO, and their only loss of the season came on the road against Kentucky where they lost 28-35. This game by all means will be the toughest test yet for Boston College and we should learn pretty much all we need to know about the Eagles after this game. Both of these teams seem to be very evenly matched. This week there was an interesting press conference exchange between both head coaches on the willingness to play this game. While the comments and responses blew up on Twitter the more important thing to take away from it all is the clear difference in coaching philosophies between the two head coaches. In a recent press conference Mizzouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz made it clear that he is not fired up about traveling up to Boston, and would prefer to play a non-conference game in a region where Missouri spends more time recruiting .
"I don't know the last time Missouri signed a kid from the great state of Massachusetts." - Eli Drinkwitz on playing BC
Boston College Head Coach Jeff Hafley recently responded to Drinkwitz comments with a much different attitude saying that he'll play anyone anywhere.
"If he didn't want to come to Boston, he should have called up and asked me and I would have gotten on a plane to Missouri. I don't care where we play." - Jeff Hafley on Drinkwitz comments
While Eli Drinkwitz chose to complain about his opponent, It is clear that Jeff Hafley has the mentality of no matter who their opponent is or where they are playing, it does not matter to him. One thing is for sure, Hafley and his team are focused on continuing to get better and they will be even more determined than ever to beat Mizzou this Saturday For Boston and For the Commonwealth!
We expect this game to be the closest contest yet for Boston College. But in all seriousness, after the bulletin board material from Drinkwitz, the chance to go 4-0 for the first time since 2007, the chance to be ranked in the Top 25, and the chance to beat an SEC school, with everything is on the line we think BC will win by a few touchdowns.
This is a must win game for this BC Football program. This is without a doubt the most important game in Hafley's short career at Boston College so far. Win this game and BC Fans no longer have to keep having faith, they will finally have evidence that the Eagles are in fact on the rise!
Current Line: BC +1.5 (o/u 58.5)
Chance Of Winning: 72.3%
According to ESPN's Football Power Index BC has a 72.3% chance of winning this game. The spread has been as high as +3.5 and as low as +1.0 point this week. The spread for this game is currently +1.5 in favor of Mizzou, with the over/under around 58.5. While many expected BC to be favored in the game at the beginning of the season, because of the recent injury to starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec, Vegas for the first time this season has BC as the underdog.
Does BC Cover The Spread?
Yes. We think BC wins! We think they will win by a few touchdowns, but this game could very easily come down to the last possession. With everything on the line, we expect BC at the very least to win the game which covers the spread as long as BC remains underdogs.
The under is somewhat favorable. While many think this might be a shootout, we think BC will try to continue to run the ball and control the time of possession. We do expect BC to open up the playbook and use the passing game significantly more, but we still think Hafley will hold onto a good amount of plays in his back pocket for Clemson the following week. Expect a well balanced offense and the defense to come up with some big turnovers. This bet could be risky if BC falls behind early. If the Eagles don't score first this game could easily fall into a shootout in which Hafley has no choice but to use the full playbook and air out the football.
Final Score: 35-21 (BC WINS)
We think the Eagles can win by two touchdowns as long as they continue to control the line of scrimmage and don't turn the ball over. Getting a lead in the game will be extremely important for the BC if they want to have more control over their play calls. Also, we expect the defense to have another monster day this Saturday. We have been waiting to see the defense create turnovers and specifically fumbles that Hafley always preaches about, and we expect to see some this weekend.
How To Watch The Game:
Go to the game! Tickets are still available! There is every reason under the sun to go to this game. It's an ACC-SEC matchup, it's Parents Weekend, the Eagles are undefeated, and Alumni Stadium will be packed. Get into your seats early and be loud! If you cannot go in person, the game will be televised nationally on ESPN 2.
Follow us on Twitter!
We will be tweeting live from Alumni Stadium this Saturday!
GO EAGS!
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