Military Bowl Picks, Predictions and Odds | East Carolina vs Boston College
Military Bowl Betting Preview
WagerTalk college football handicapper Tony Finn offers his East Carolina vs Boston College Military Bowl betting preview for Monday, December 27. At the time of posting, the Eagles from the ACC are holding steady as a 3-point favorite over the Pirates from the AAC, with the total at 52.5 points.
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| Military Bowl | Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Boston College Eagles -3 vs East Carolina Pirates |
| Total: | 52.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT on Monday, December 27 |
| Stadium: | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland |
| TV: | ESPN |
Military Bowl Analysis
The Boston College Eagles (8-4, ACC) and East Carolina Pirates (7-5, American) will compete for the 2021 title of Military Bowl champions. Kickoff is set for 2:30 pm ET from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. The Circa Race and Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas have the ACC Eagles as 3-point chalk with the over-under total game points scored at 52.5 points.
The Pirates won four of their last five games allowing the program to be in a position to accept holiday bowl invitations. The Pirates captured quality wins over Marshall and Memphis; both are taking part in the bowl schedule this month. All five of ECUs losses came against teams that qualified for bowl games this season. All five, Appalachian State, South Carolina, UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati, are participating in the 2021 college football postseason.
Boston College received an early Christmas present when QB Phil Jurkovec announced he would return to BC rather than enter the NFL draft. The difficult schedule that the Eagles navigated this season painted a picture of inconsistency. However, drinking the media Kool-Aide that portrays this Eagles squad as wishy-washy would be underselling their accomplishments. BC possesses a savvy defense, and Jurkovec has the arm and the mental stamina to connect for big plays, even against a quality ECU defense.
The Pirates field general Holton Ahlers threw for 3,126 yards and 18 touchdowns against ten interceptions. Ahlers has the services of four receivers that accrued 400 or more yards receiving. Running back, Keaton Mitchell ran for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. East Carolina’s defense surrendered an average of 25.7 points per game which placed them in the average folder of FBC defenses.
Boston College Eagles
- After suffering some misfires when quarterback Jurkovec was injured, the Boston College coaching staff and the player personnel figured it out but returned their starting quarterback to the field. As a result, the Eagles’ offense averaged 30 points per game, resulting in BC being a part of the postseason bowl schedule.
- The media labeled the Eagles inconsistent and inefficient offensively, but most of the ups and downs of the BC offense were during the time Jurkovec was playing through an injury.
- Jurkovec only played in six games due to an injury-riddled campaign. The BC quarterback threw for 914 yards and seven touchdowns against four interceptions.
- Running back, Pat Garwood rushed for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns on the season and will carry the rushing load on Monday in Annapolis.
East Carolina Pirates
- The Pirates were an average FBS rushing and passing offense. ECU made their money on Saturday’s with the skill and smarts of their defense led by LB Bruce Bivens.
- The bright light on defense this season was cover cornerback Ja’Quan McMillan. Not only did McMillan snatch five interceptions during the season, but he was also an exceptional open-field tackler for a cover corner, recording 56 total tackles.
Military Bowl Prediction
The Eagles have the right player at quarterback in this bowl showdown to sustain drives and work the clock between the 20s. Both defenses were excellent in holding the opposition to field goals in the red zone. The Pirates defense was among the best in the nation on third downs, and touchdowns will be hard to come by in a bowl game that will be all about which defense made the biggest play.
The Boston College offense found ways to convert third downs and own time of possession, but converting yards into touchdowns is different. In six of its last eight games, the Eagles were held to less than 17 points.
The WagerTalk pick to click in the Military Bowl is a play under the total.
Both Oregon and Oklahoma will be welcoming new coaches next season. Who will get the campaign started on the right foot with a win in the Alamo Bowl? Join Ralph, Adam and Steve for College Football Daily. https://t.co/Wgff7VcPCF
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Military Bowl Preview from GoldSheet
The Pirates reached their first bowl game under Mike Houston and will be playing beyond the regular season for the first time since 2014. It now remains to be seen if motivation can serve to be a driving force as ECU looks to handle business in the Military Bowl against an ACC foe, which will be its third opportunity to beat a high-profile team after coming up short against the SEC’s Gamecocks earlier this season and failing to upset unbeaten Cincinnati on Nov. 27.
Meanwhile the Eagles are looking to avoid ending the season on a three-game losing streak following a tight loss against Florida State and a blowout setback vs. Wake Forest. Boston College got a major boost with QB Phil Jurkovec announcing he’s returning for another season, which combined with an edge a solid offensive line gives them, means the Pirates can’t afford a conservative game plan if they want to hang around and pull the upset.
Veteran QB Holton Ahlers, a Greenville native who has had his ups and downs under center for the team he grew up rooting for, can keep drives alive with his feet and his grit, but he’ll need to make throws to keep pace. The Eagles have a game-breaker in Zay Flowers who should flourish against the ECU secondary with Jurkovec back. The Pirates have to strike the right balance between controlling possession by running Rahjai Harris and Keaton Mitchell and ensuring they get seven more than they settle for three. The ‘over’ is just 1-7 in BC’s last eight contests and 1-5-1 in the Pirates’ last seven.
Military Bowl Video Preview
WagerTalk college football handicappers Dave Cokin, Teddy Covers and Tony Finn offer their Military Bowl betting preview.
Military Bowl Stats
College football handicappers Ralph Michaels and JM Sports have put together a 66-page Bowl Betting Guide featuring everything from first quarter scoring to yards per point to plays per minute. Don’t place a bet on the Military Bowl before diving into this FREE download.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, point spreads, first half lines and betting percentages for all of the college football bowl games, including this Military Bowl showdown between East Carolina and Boston College, from your desktop or phone.
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