SMU looks for their first bowl win since 2012 as they face Boston College at the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Wasabi Fenway Bowl SMU-Boston College prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Wasabi Fenway Bowl is set to play their second-ever game. It was originally set to debut at Fenway Park in 2020, but in October 2020, it was announced the game would not be played due to COVID concerns. Then in 2021, Virginia and SMU were set to face off, but COVID issues with the Virginia football program led to cancellation. Last year then became the first match-up as Louisville faced Cincinnati. Louisville would win that game 24-7. This game is set to feature teams from the American Athletic Conference and the ACC each year. This year, it is SMU from the AAC and Boston College from the ACC.
SMU has qualified for bowl games in each of the last five seasons but has only played in two games. In 2020 COVID canceled the Frisco Bowl, and then in 2021, it was the Fenway Bowl that was canceled. SMU lost the 2019 Boca Raton Bowl and lost last year under first-year head coach Rhett Lashlee in the New Mexico Bowl. With a win, it will be the first bowl win for SMU since the 2012 Hawaii Bowl. SMU enters the game 11-2. They started just 2-2, with wins over Louisiana Tech and Prairie View, but losses to Oklahoma and TCU. They then went perfect in conference play and would cap it off with a conference title game win over Tulane.
Meanwhile. Boston College has qualified for bowls in eight of the last ten seasons. They are just 1-4 in those nine years in bowl games though. Boston College lost in both 2013 and 2014, before missing in 2015. They won the Quick Lane Bowl in 2016, their last bowl win. In 2018, the First Responders Bowl was canceled due to weather. Boston College declined a bowl in 2020 due to COVID and then the 2021 Military was canceled due to COVID as well. Last year, they were 3-9, their worst record under Jeff Hafley, but they turned it around this year. It was a slow start, being upset by Northern Illinois and nearly upset by Holy Cross. Then, they almost upset Florida State before losing to Louisville. From there, they would win five straight games, but they ended the year on a three-game losing streak.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Wasabi Fenway Bowl Odds: SMU-Boston College Odds
SMU: -9.5 (-110)
Boston College: +9.5 (-110)
Over: 47.5 (-110)
Under: 47.5 (-110)
How to Watch SMU vs. Boston College
Time: 11:00 AM ET/ 8:00 AM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why SMU Will Cover The Spread
SMU ranked sixth in the nation in points per game this year, while sitting 14th in the nation in yards per game. They ranked 27th in the nation in rushing yards while sitting 24th in passing yards. Preston Stone had been the leader of this team, passing for 3,192 yards and 28 touchdowns this year. He suffered an injury in the game with the Navy and is out for the year. This means Kevin Jennings will be making the start again. He passed for 427 yards this year and four touchdowns. He was solid in the conference title game with Tulane, passing for 203 yards and a touchdown, but did throw two interceptions in the game. Jennings ran well in the game though, with 73 yards rushing.
SMU will rely on second-team all-conference runningback Jaylay Knighton. He has 722 yards this year on just 129 carries. Further, he scored seven times this year, while also having 21 carries of over ten yards this year. Further, Knighton scores in five of his last six games, including a 75-yard and one-touchdown performance against Tulane.
SMU also has first-team all-conference tight-end RJ Maryland. Maryland comes into the game with 34 receptions for 518 yards. He also scored seven times this year. SMU also had four receivers over 400 yards this year. Jake Bailey is the leader in yards and receptions with 36 receptions for 474 yards. Meanwhile, Jordan Hudson has 410 yards with seven touchdowns this year.
The SMU defense is solid. They rank 14th in the nation in both points allowed per game and yards allowed per game. They are 19th against the rush while sitting 29th against the passing game. Elijah Chatman is the man to watch in this game. He is a first-team all-conference player, with four sacks and 11 quarterback pressures. He also has 17 stops for offensive failures in the run game, while consistently requiring two blockers on him.
Why Boston College Will Cover The Spread
Boston College ranks 79th in the nation in points per game this year,r while sitting 67th in yards per game. They are 19th in the rush, but sit 99th in the passing game. Thomas Castellanos leads this offense. He has 2,141 yards on the year passing while completing 178 of 313 passes this year. Castellanos threw 15 touchdowns this year, but also threw 13 interceptions with 23 turnover-worthy passes. In the last three games, Castellanos threw two interceptions in each of them. His major impact is in the running game. This year Castellanos has 1,070 yards rushing before sack adjustment, while also scoring 11 times.
Castellanos leads the rushing game, but Kye Robichaux is also a solid back. He has 688 yards on the year on 149 rushes. Further, he has scored seven times this year, while having 12 rushes over ten yards this year. In the receiving game, Lewis Bond will lead the way. He comes in with 611 yards this year on 48 receptions. He is the only receiver on the team with multiple receiving touchdowns, coming in with seven of them. Further, he has brought in 71.4 percent of his contested catches this year.
One defense, Boston College ranks 86th in the nation in points allowed per game. They sit 68th in yards per game while being 33rd against the pass, but 118th against the run. They will be without two starting corners and a safety due to injuries in this game. Third-team all-ACC linebacker Vinny DePalma is still around though. He was great in run defense with 30 stops for offensive failures while having 58 solo tackles in the run game. In pass defense, he allowed just 160 total yards.
Final SMU-Boston College Prediction & Pick
Boston College has a rough defense. They struggle heavily and a large portion of their secondary is missing. Even more so, they were one of the worst in the nation against the run this year. SMU showed they did not need their star quarterback to move the ball. They have a great run game with Jaylan Knighton leading the way. Further, they are great against the run, which is how Boston College moves the ball. Take SMU to win and cover in this one.
Final SMU-Boston College Prediction & Pick: SMU (-9.5)
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