The Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Nov. 1. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
Notre Dame is favored by 28 points on the spread with a moneyline of -8000. Boston College, meanwhile, enters as a +28 underdog and is +1800 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 56 total points.
Here’s my Notre Dame vs. Boston College prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 1.
Notre Dame vs Boston College Prediction
- Notre Dame vs. Boston College Pick: Notre Dame -28
My Boston College vs. Notre Dame best bet is on the Fighting Irish to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Notre Dame vs Boston College Odds
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-28 -105 | 56 -110o / -110u | -8000 |
| Boston College Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+28 -115 | 56 -110o / -110u | +1800 |
- Notre Dame vs Boston College Spread: Notre Dame -28, Boston College +28
- Notre Dame vs Boston College Over/Under: 56 Points
- Notre Dame vs Boston College Moneyline: Notre Dame -8000, Boston College +1800
Notre Dame vs Boston College NCAAF Betting Preview
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview: Built for Blowouts
Few teams in college football are as balanced as Notre Dame right now.
The Irish enter this matchup ranked inside the top 30 nationally in nearly every major efficiency category and have PFF grades to back it up. They rank 14th in PFF offensive grade and 33rd in PFF defensive grade.
Their combination of consistency and explosiveness makes them a nightmare for teams that can’t match up physically, and Boston College is firmly in that category.
Notre Dame’s offense is built on control. It ranks 13th in Finishing Drives and 17th in explosiveness, a rare blend that shows it can both move the ball efficiently and strike when opportunities arise.
The offensive line has been a major strength, allowing the Irish to stay ahead of schedule (27th in third-down conversion rate) and protect the quarterback against pressure (54th in Havoc allowed).
Their ability to avoid negative plays means possessions almost always end in points.
Defensively, the Irish are just as formidable. They rank 47th in Success Rate allowed, 16th in defensive hard stops and 26th in Finishing Drives allowed, meaning opponents not only struggle to sustain drives but also rarely finish with touchdowns.
Their defensive front is physical, their tackling sound and their secondary disciplined enough to prevent the kind of explosive plays that can keep a big underdog hanging around.
Against a Boston College offense that’s been one of the least efficient in the country, that matchup leans heavily toward Notre Dame.
The Irish also hold major advantages in discipline and field position. They rank 60th nationally in penalties and 29th in average starting field position, while Boston College sits near the bottom in both.
In short, Notre Dame dominates every controllable phase of the game: execution, physicality and situational football. When the Irish get rolling early, they don’t often let teams off the mat.
Boston College Eagles Betting Preview: Can BC Keep It Close?
If you're getting a sense of déjà vu reading this article, you have good reason. Last week, I wrote an article about an Eagles team that was a four-score underdog and had nothing to lose. They sure played like it, too, putting Louisville on upset alert for most of the game.
The Eagles rank 66th nationally in Success Rate, 68th in Havoc allowed and 26th in tempo. Just like the Louisville game, expect the Eagles to play fast and stay on the field.
The issue for Boston College hasn’t been talent; it’s been consistency, with a rank of 97th in Finishing Drives. Against Louisville, it actually scored touchdowns instead of settling for field goals, and lo and behold, it easily covered.
Once again, sustained ball control and chain movement are exactly what bettors should want in a double-digit underdog.
The Eagles’ ability to convert short passes, spread the field and keep their quarterback upright (top-70 nationally in protection metrics) should be enough to hang around longer than expected… is what I said last week.
However, most concerning for BC is its inability to win the field-position battle or stay on schedule. The Eagles rank 119th in average starting field position and 125th in defensive penalties, two areas that consistently flip the field in their opponent’s favor.
That could be a problem against a team willing to pounce on mistakes like Notre Dame.
Notre Dame vs Boston College Pick, Betting Analysis
Notre Dame’s strength directly targets Boston College’s weaknesses.
The Irish excel at Finishing Drives (13th), while BC ranks 119th in preventing them. The Irish generate explosive plays at a top-20 rate, while BC allows them at a bottom-quarter clip.
Add in the massive gap in field position, discipline and third-down execution, and this game shapes up like many of Boston College’s previous losses — slow starts turning into second-half routs.
Boston College may hang around for a quarter, but over four quarters, the gap in talent, efficiency and execution is simply too wide.
Expect Notre Dame to wear BC down early, force short-field opportunities off defensive stops and pull away comfortably before halftime.
I know this is some whiplash after picking the Eagles last week, but that was more about Louisville being good, not great.
Don't let the Irish's two losses to good teams fool you. This is a great team, with a great coaching staff.
Despite a rough start, expect to see Notre Dame square in the College Football Playoff picture come December. This is what separates a playoff team from a good P4 team: beating the crap out of teams it should.
Pick: Notre Dame -28
Notre Dame vs Boston College Betting Trends
