What can the Clemson Tigers do for an encore at this point? Clemson has the most impressive resume of any team in college football right now with wins over Auburn and Louisville. The Tigers defense led the way in the win over Auburn, while the offense took charge in the big win against Louisville last week. Now, Clemson must fight complacency when the lowly Boston College Eagles limp into town after getting demolished by Wake Forest and Notre Dame at home in consecutive weeks.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 4 game is set for Saturday, September 23, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. This game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Boston College +34
Clemson -34
Odds Analysis
The Eagles have fallen on hard times. After getting pantsed by Wake Forest 34-10 two weeks ago, Boston College lost by 29 to Notre Dame this past week. That loss dropped BC to 0-3 ATS on the season and raised red flags about how good this defense really is. BC has leaned heavily on its defense to lead the team to victory under head coach Steve Addazio, but this season the defensive performance has fallen through a crater and its effecting everything.
Clemson continues to make believers of us all. The Tigers weren’t expected to do much more than compete for the ACC crown this season, but they have a legitimate chance to repeat as national champions after this start. They have looked great in all aspects of the game and are 3-0 ATS and have covered five straight dating back to last year’s playoffs.
Matchup to Watch
The Boston College run defense is one of the worst units in college football. That’s extremely surprising considering how good this team typically is at stopping the run. Offenses have worn this team down over the course of a game and then gash them late. That’s not good news for anyone looking to back BC on the road against Clemson this week.
Clemson is more than happy to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible. The Tigers are averaging over 500 yards of offense and have nearly as many rushing yards as passing yards on the season. This team doesn’t have one back like it has in the past, but instead has a handful of backs that see action over the course of a game. That keeps their legs fresh and is a big reason why this team averages 5.9 yards per carry.
Matchup to Watch 2
Usually I go another way with this, but I’m going to cheat here and highlight another matchup. If you’ve read my Clemson previews this season, you know what I think about this defensive line. There isn’t a better pair of defensive tackles in college football than what Clemson has and the line as a whole could definitely be the most talented unit at this level today.
BC is going to have an almost impossible time running the ball against Clemson. The Eagles are averaging just 3.5 YPC and haven’t played defenses that are known for their ability to stop the run. Teams are filling the box against BC because it can’t beat you through the air and that’s a major problem at this level of football. The Eagles have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this season and their quarterbacks are averaging just 4.6 yards per pass.
Free ATS Pick
There is one good reason to like Boston College in this game. This is a trap game for Clemson as it’s riding high after two big wins and is probably looking past BC in anticipation of a road trip to Blacksburg next week. For that reason, take BC as this team will at least be focused on the task at hand while Clemson starts prepping for Virginia Tech.
College Football Odds: Tigers 34, Eagles 13
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
