Maryland Terrapins vs. Boston College Eagles – Quick Lane Bowl Predictions, Odds, Picks and NCAA Football Betting Preview – December 26, 2016

Maryland Terrapins vs. Boston College Eagles Betting Preview

Where: Ford Field, Detroit

When: Monday, December 26, 2:30 PM ET

Line: Maryland Terrapins (-1) vs. Boston College Eagles (+1); total: 43.5 – view all NCAA Football odds and lines

Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (-1)

Maryland began the season like a house on fire, winning four straight games before the wheels went off, as the Terps lost six of their next eight games. Those two wins were against Michigan State and a regular-season ending victory over Rutgers that salvaged the Terps a ticket to a bowl game.

The Terps aren’t going to content themselves by just playing in a bowl game, as the program hasn’t won one in six years. One of their top priorities against Boston College is letting quarterback Perry Hills run the show. Hills passed for 1,235 and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions this year and he could’ve done more if it weren’t for the injuries that he had to suffer throughout the season.

With Hills’ body always having the tendency to breakdown, the Terps are also looking for their backfield to carry the bulk of the offense. Sophomore running back Ty Johnson has shown he is capable of thwarting opposing defenses, having rushed for 845 yards this year on an average of 8.9 yards per carry. He is clearly the leader of Maryland’s rushing attack that covered 205.5 yards per game this season, third best in the Big Ten conference.

The under is 2-0 in the last two games of Maryland, which allows 30.5 points to opponents per contest.

Betting on the Boston College Eagles (+1)

The Eagles must feel ecstatic for getting a ticket to a bowl game, considering how bad last season was for them. From a 3-9 campaign (0-8 in the conference) in 2015, the Eagles went 6-6 (2-6) with consecutive wins over UConn and Wake Forest to end the regular season.

Boston College’s step towards the right direction can mainly be attributed to its defense that allowed just 24.6 points and 310.6 total yards per game. The Eagles will look to shut down Maryland’s passing game and make the Terps’ one-dimensional on offense. The success of that plan will rely mostly on how consistent the Eagles will be in pressuring Maryland’s Hills.

That appears to be not much of a problem for the Eagles considering that they finished third in the ACC in sacks with 39 while being led by one of the fiercest defensive ends in the college ranks in the form of Harold Landry. Landry is tied for most in the conference with 15 sacks and he should be able to burst through Maryland’s offensive line that seemingly has always left Hills for dead, as the Terps have allowed the most sacks this year with 41.

The challenge for the Eagles is on offense. They are averaging just 17.0 points and 269.9 yards per game. The Eagles reached a bowl game despite that kind of anemic offense so this isn’t new for Steve Addazio’s team, which won’t score much but will not let the other team pile up points either.

Boston College is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games as an underdog by two or fewer points.

Writer’s Prediction

Maryland (-1) wins, 21-13.

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