This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Pinstripe Bowl Picks: Boston College vs. Nebraska
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I'm pretty excited for the Pinstripe Bowl. I'm not a Cornhuskers fan, but it is cool to see them back in a bowl. However, it's also the fact this is the Pinstripe Bowl, the one that takes place at Yankee Stadium. It's a cool visual. Of course, the visual you are most interested in here is the score on the scoreboard when the game is over, so let's get to the betting details.
Boston College vs. Nebraska Betting Odds
Spread: Nebraska -3.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook), Boston College +4 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: 45.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Nebraska -180 (BetRivers Sportsbook), Boston College +155 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Nebraska is back bowling, but it needs to win here to finish above .500. The spread here indicates the books believe that will be the case, though not by much. All the books I saw had the same over/under total there.
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Boston College vs. Nebraska Betting Picks
Matt Rhule got the Cornhuskers back bowling, but in neoclassic Cornhusker fashion it was not easy. Nebraska lost five of its last six games. However, while the Indiana throttled the Huskers, Nebraska lost one-score games to Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and Iowa. Earlier in the year Nebraska lost to Illinois in a one-score game as well. That is also very Nebraska. Boston College went 7-5, but against an easier schedule. The SP+ rankings sees these teams as close in quality, with Nebraska ranking 52nd and Boston College ranking 60th.
That being said, this is bowl season, and the SP+ rankings don't reflect certain realities. Boston College's primary quarterback this year Thomas Castellanos entered the transfer portal, though Grayson James was already starting at the end of the season. Nebraska does have Dylan Raiola, but running back Dante Dowdell and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor are out. The Cornhuskers have lost five of their 12 receiving touchdowns and 14 of their 20 rushing touchdowns there. Also, Nebraska ranks 120th in special teams in SP+.
Nebraska reeled down the stretch and was hit harder by the portal. Boston College has the special teams edge. The Eagles also have four points of leeway to work with to beat the spread. Plus, this is an outdoor game in New York in late December. Expect some of that smashmouth, cold-weather football, the kind that can lead to low scores and close games.
Boston College vs. Nebraska Best Bet: Boston College +4 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Boston College vs. Nebraska Betting Predictions
We've seen what the combination of James and Kye Robichaux can do for the Eagles. It's hard to see the Cornhuskers righting the ship even though all those losses down the stretch, outside of the Indiana loss, were by eight points or fewer. My prediction is not one wherein Boston College beats Nebraska soundly. I do think the Eagles will win, though. If they don't win, I don't see the Cornhuskers winning by a touchdown or two. You know the way people break down likely outcomes as "X team wins in a blowout, X team wins close, Y team wins in a blowout, Y team wins close?" To me, the two most-likely results are Boston College wins close and Nebraska wins close. I really have questions about the Cornhuskers offense and special teams i.e. the ways in which teams score. Nebraska might end up with a total that feels right at home at a baseball stadium.
