Boston College vs. Cincinnati Betting Odds, Pick Prediction: Spread, Line for 2020 Birmingham Bowl
Greg Thompson, Getty Images. Pictured: Luke Fickell
- Cincinnati is a -7.5 favorite over Boston College in the latest Birmingham Bowl odds, with the total at 53.5.
- Our projections make this point spread considerably lower, so do the Eagles have a shot at pulling the outright upset of the Bearcats, even without star running back A.J. Dillon?
- Get our Birmingham Bowl picks below.
Boston College vs. Cincinnati Odds
- Odds: Cincinnati -7.5
- Over/Under: 55.5
- Time: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Odds as of Wednesday night and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.
Boston College has moved on from head coach Steve Addazio so Rich Gunnell will coach the Eagles in the Birmingham Bowl. Don't expect BC just to roll over, as teams in the midst of a coaching transition haven't been an easy out this bowl season.
The real loss for the Eagles is running back AJ Dillon, who racked up over 1,600 yards on the ground this season. Boston College still has David Bailey, a 240-pound rumbling back who tallied 816 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Eagles are a lot to handle in the trenches, ranking second in power success rate, seventh in sack rate, ninth in stuff rate, 11th in havoc and 21st in line yards. Cincinnati's defensive front isn't weak, but the edge goes to the Eagles in this instance.
This game will likely come down to whether or not Cincinnati is able to expose a terrible Boston College pass defense. The Eagles' defense ranked 91st in passing success rate, but the Bearcats may not be able to exploit that weakness as they finished 75th in passing explosiveness and outside the top 100 in completion percentage.
Cincinnati is also one of the least disciplined teams in the country. The Bearcats rank 129th in penalty yards and cost themselves nearly 75 yards per game. Boston College is on the opposite end of the table, ranking seventh in the same category.
I also question how motivated Cincinnati will be for this game. A few weeks ago, the Bearcats were leading the AAC and on target for the Cotton Bowl. Two consecutive losses to Memphis later and Cincinnati is headed to Birmingham for a Thursday afternoon showdown with BC.
Our projected spread for this game is Cincinnati -4.5 with a total of 54. There doesn't seem to be any value on the Over/Under, but I'm looking for the best Boston College number.
Pick: Boston College +8 or better
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