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The Boston College Eagles take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on The CW.
Duke is favored by -7 points on the spread with a moneyline of -278. Boston College, meanwhile, enters as a +7 underdog and is +235 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 47.5 total points.
Here’s my Boston College vs. Duke prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 31.
Boston College vs Duke Prediction
- Boston College vs. Duke Pick: Duke -7 or Better
My Duke vs. Boston College best bet is on the Blue Devils to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Boston College vs Duke Odds
| Boston College Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -108 | 48.5 -105o / -115u | +225 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -112 | 48.5 -105o / -115u | -278 |
- Boston College vs Duke point spread: Duke -7 (-112), Boston College +7 (-108)
- Boston College vs Duke over/under: 48.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Boston College vs Duke moneyline: Boston College +235, Duke -278
Boston College vs Duke College Football Preview
Boston College Eagles Betting Preview: Things Looking Up
It's Halloween, and Boston College has already doubled its win total from last season and eclipsed its preseason win total. The Eagles enter this week off two straight wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech.
A big reason for the early success has been the offense hitting its stride under new quarterback Mason McKenzie. An impressive Division II transfer, McKenzie was named the GLIAC Player of the Year after lighting it up at Saginaw Valley State last season,
McKenzie is a dual-threat weapon with eight touchdowns passing this season and another five rushing. His 614 rushing yards are the second most among all Power 4 quarterbacks.
He has been excellent over the last two weeks, torching Pitt with his arm and Georgia Tech with his legs.
Running back Bo MacCormack III also had a monster day in Atlanta last week. He rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns, stepping up after the team lost starting back Evan Dickens for the season.
This explosive Bill O’Brien offense has been the key to the Eagles’ strong start to the season.
The defense has also taken a step forward, though under new defensive coordinator Ted Roof.
The former Blue Devils head coach from 2003-07, Roof has quickly turned this defense around, lowering its points per game allowed from 32.5 in 2025 to 23.6 points this season.
Roof has focused on fundamentals like positioning and tackling, helping the Eagles limit mistakes. They have done an excellent job limiting explosives and keeping everything in front of them.
The secondary has been very good for Boston College, led by tackling machine KP Price and cornerback Charlie Comella, who already has four interceptions on the season.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview: Stellar Defense, Run Game
Ho-hum, all Duke did last year was win the ACC Championship last season and turn around and start 5-2 this year. Yet, it continues to get no respect or attention from anybody.
Now, both of its losses were pretty bad against Georgia Tech and North Carolina, as the Blue Devils were favored in both contests. But they also lost both by a combined seven points.
After quarterback Darian Mensah was poached by Miami, Duke went and got San Jose State transfer Walker Eget out of the portal to replace him.
Eget was a two-year starter for the Spartans with up-and-down results, but so far has been solid for the Blue Devils.
After averaging over 35 attempts per game last season, he has been asked to do a lot less but has been more efficient because of it. His completion percentage would be a career best.
But this is not Eget’s team; it's Nate Sheppard’s. The Blue Devils star running back ranks third in the country, averaging 125 rushing yards per game and has already totaled 875 yards on the ground with nine touchdowns.
He averages 5.7 yards per carry and leads all running backs with 27 rushing plays of 10-plus yards. Duke ranks 15th in the country in rushing explosiveness on the back of Sheppard.
Defensively, it’s no surprise that head coach Manny Diaz has a stout unit. Duke does everything well, ranking top-40 in Success Rate allowed and explosiveness allowed. The defense is disciplined and has a strong pass rush up front.
Linebackers Luke Mergott and Nick Morris Jr. provide the stability as the anchors in the middle of this defense. Duke ranks 20th in the country in Rushing Success Rate allowed, thanks in large part to its linebacker group.
Up front, edge rushers Tyshon Reed and Kevin O’Connor have done a great job putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, combining for seven sacks. Reed has 25 pressures already this season.
Boston College vs Duke Pick, Betting Analysis
The Boston College offense has had success this season, but it has all come on explosives.
The Eagles rank 44th in explosiveness despite sitting just 87th in Success Rate. The passing attack comes in at 13th in explosiveness, compared to 120th in Success Rate.
If they're not hitting big plays through the air, they can't throw the ball successfully.
Duke has one of the best defenses in the country at preventing big plays. It ranks in the top 30 at preventing explosiveness against both the run and the pass.
McKenzie and MacCormack torched the Georgia Tech defense, but they will have a much tougher task against the stingy Blue Devils defense. Duke will make them string together more consistently than just hitting big plays.
The Blue Devils rank 25th nationally in rush defense, allowing just 107.1 yards per game on the ground.
Duke has also already had success against mobile quarterbacks, recently holding Billy Edwards to just 20 yards on nine carries (2.2 yards per carry) and Beau Pribula to 66 yards on 21 carries (3.1 yards per carry).
This defense will be able to key on McKenzie and force him to be a pocket passer, where he's much more limited and already has seven interceptions.
Boston College has done a good job preventing big plays as well, but Sheppard is a different beast. Even if the Eagles take away the explosive runs, Sheppard can rely on inside zone runs against the defense to keep the chains moving.
Duke bounced back last Friday night with a good win over Virginia and now returns to Wallace Wade Stadium, where it's 3-1 against the spread this season with an extra day's rest against a Boston College team on back-to-back travel.
Look for Duke to take away the Eagles’ rushing explosiveness and force them to pass the ball. Once the Blue Devils build a lead, they can lean on Sheppard and pull away here.
Pick: Duke -7 or Better
