The Boston College Eagles (4-2, 1-1 ACC) will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia, on Thursday night to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-3, 1-1). Kickoff at Lane Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN for this ACC matchup, with the game streaming on YouTube TV, ESPN+ and other streaming apps.
Virginia Tech is now a consensus 8.5-point favorite on the spread against Boston College (Virginia Tech -8.5), with the over/under for this game currently set at 48.5 points. The Hokies are -325 favorites on the moneyline to win, with the Eagles +260 to pull off the upset.
Virginia Tech comes in off of a 31-7 win over Stanford in Week 6, and B.C. lost to Virginia 24-14 that same week. Both teams were off last weekend. And while both teams are playing well to this point, I think there may be value on one of the sides in this game. Let’s dive into my Boston College vs. Virginia Tech predictions and college football picks for Thursday.
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Prediction
My Pick: Boston College +8.5 (Bet to +7)
My Virginia Tech vs. Boston College best bet is on the Eagles to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Odds
| B.C. Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 48 -110o / -110u | +260 |
| VA Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 48 -110o / -110u | -320 |
- Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Spread: Virginia Tech -8.5
- Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Over/Under: 48.5 Points
- Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Moneyline: Virginia Tech -325, Boston College +260
- Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Pick: Boston College against the spread
Spread
I'm taking Boston College to cover the spread in this one. And while I bet it with the Eagles as 7-point underdogs, we're getting better and better odds as we get closer to kickoff, which we love.
Moneyline
I see value on Boston College on the spread, but I am not betting the Eagles to pull off the upset.
Over/Under
I don't have a bet on the total in this one, although it's worth noting that the over/under is a touch low, which is part of why I'm taking the points in what is expected to be a somewhat lower-scoring game.
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Betting Trends to Know
- 50% of bets and 53% of the money are on Boston College to cover the spread.
- 72% of bets and 57% of the money are on the over.
- 92% of bets and only 16% of the money are on Virginia Tech to win outright.
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA |
| Date: | Thursday, Oct. 17 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN / YouTube TV & ESPN+ |
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College is live at 7:30 p.m. ET from Blacksburg, Virginia on Thursday night. The game is airing on ESPN and streaming on YouTube TV, ESPN+, and other streaming platforms.
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech College Football Thursday Preview
Boston College Eagles Betting Preview: Castellanos Leads Electric Offense
After taking down Florida State in what was believed to be a strong win in Week 1, Boston College fell to 1-1 in ACC play after its loss to Virginia last week. That game likely should have been closer than the final score appeared, as turnovers cost the Cavaliers about 7.8 points, according to GameOnPaper.
Even with the loss, the Eagles are still 4-2 on the season with their only other loss coming in a close battle on the road against a ranked Missouri team.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos is having a great season piloting the offense.
Castellanos is completing 67% of his passes this year and has 898 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. He is also averaging an impressive 0.34 EPA per Dropback, which ranks toward the top of the ACC.
The Eagles rank second in Passing PPA and first in passing explosiveness this season among FBS teams. They're also 41st in Passing Success Rate and 95th in Rushing Success Rate but run the ball 65% of the time, which is the 10th-highest rate in FBS.
Overall, Boston College ranks 80th in Offensive Success Rate, 20th in Finishing Drives and ninth in offensive explosiveness.
BC’s offensive line has been one of the better units in college football, ranking 10th in PFF pass-blocking grade and 16th in PFF run-blocking grade. The Eagles are one of only three teams to rank in the top 20 in each of these metrics this season, along with Memphis and James Madison.
Defensively, the Eagles have been impressive this year, ranking 16th in Success Rate Allowed and 42nd in Defensive Finishing Drives.
They sit 76th in explosiveness allowed and just 131st in Havoc. Ultimately, this defense hasn’t been disruptive despite ranking 69th in PFF pass-rushing grade.
Boston College ranks fifth in Rushing Success Rate Allowed, 13th in PFF run defense grade and 20th in Rushing PPA Allowed. Against the pass, it's 42nd in Success Rate Allowed and 54th in PPA Allowed.
Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Preview: Better Than Their Record
In what was supposed to be a season in which they could have been a dark horse ACC Championship contender, the Hokies are sitting at 3-3 through their first six games.
However, with just a couple more breaks, we would be talking about this team differently.
Virginia Tech lost to Miami on the infamous overturned Hail Mary in its lone conference loss while also only losing to Rutgers by three and falling to what we now know is a good Vanderbilt team in overtime.
Offensively, the Hokies rank 95th in Success Rate this season, but they're 58th in Finishing Drives and 38th in explosiveness. They're only 112th in Havoc Allowed — although, that may not be an issue against a Boston College defense that hardly causes any chaos.
Virginia Tech runs the ball 58% of the time, ranking 78th in Rushing Success Rate and 60th in Rushing PPA.
Bhayshul Tuten received almost all of the work in this backfield with 106 carries on the season for 613 yards and an ACC-leading nine touchdowns.
The Hokies are only 102nd in Passing Success Rate this season, but they sit 60th in Passing PPA because they rank ninth in passing explosiveness.
Quarterback Kyron Drones is averaging 0.08 EPA per Dropback with only eight touchdowns in six games this season through the air. His legs pose a threat as well, however, as he has 57 carries for 332 yards and three scores on the season.
Defensively, it finds its strength through its pass rush. The Hokies rank 12th in PFF pass-rush grade this season and are 16th in Havoc. Overall, this unit ranks 47th in Success Rate Allowed, 33rd in Finishing Drives and 90th in explosiveness allowed.
The passing defense has played well overall, coming in at 32nd in Passing Success Rate Allowed and 52nd in Passing PPA Allowed. However, it has struggled with explosive plays, ranking 96th in passing explosiveness allowed.
The secondary also has some holes, as it ranks 91st in PFF coverage grade.
Virginia Tech has primarily faced the run this year (62%) and ranks 67th in Rushing Success Rate Allowed, 102nd in Rushing PPA Allowed, 118th in rushing explosiveness allowed,and 99th in PFF run defense grade.
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Virginia Tech and Boston College match up statistically:
Boston College Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 100 | 71 | |
| Line Yards | 86 | 80 | |
| Pass Success | 36 | 43 | |
| Havoc | 77 | 14 | |
| Finishing Drives | 54 | 10 | |
| Quality Drives | 60 | 46 | |
Virginia Tech Offense vs. Boston College Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 81 | 12 | |
| Line Yards | 54 | 29 | |
| Pass Success | 102 | 42 | |
| Havoc | 104 | 74 | |
| Finishing Drives | 49 | 18 | |
| Quality Drives | 68 | 70 |  |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 38 | 24 |
| PFF Coverage | 47 | 91 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 44 | 32 |
| Middle 8 | 59 | 33 |
| Seconds per Play | 29.6 (119) | 26.8 (53) |
| Rush Rate | 63% (20) | 59% (45) |
Explosive plays will be key in this game for the Boston College offense.
In this matchup, we have one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC taking on one of the worst defenses at preventing big plays.
Virginia Tech’s pass rush is its only calling card on defense, and Boston College's offensive line should be good enough to neutralize that group and have a successful day on the offensive side of the ball.
A night game in Blacksburg can be one of the more intimidating environments in college football, so I’m not surprised by this touchdown spread — but I don’t see this big of a difference between these two teams.
I like backing Boston College at +7 in this matchup. However, I would only bet the Eagles at +7 or better.
Pick: Boston College +7 or Better
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College Weather
