Thursday brings four more college football bowl games, starting with a future all-ACC clash between the 11-2 SMU Mustangs and the 6-6 Boston College Eagles in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
Who emerges victorious when the reigning AAC champions head to the home of baseball in Boston to face the hometown team? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Fenway Bowl prediction.
Fenway Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Fenway Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
SMU -10 - Moneyline
SMU -375, Boston College +295 - Over/Under
48 points - Game time
11 a.m. ET - Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA - Predicted Weather at Kick
47 degrees, 10 mph winds, rain - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Looking to back Boston College on Thursday? Planning on smashing SMU and making some money on the Mustangs? If you’re going to take advantage of the Fenway Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
With SMU set to move to the ACC for football next fall, these two teams will be getting very familiar with each other over the next few seasons, but there’s only been one prior meeting. SMU scraped a narrow win over Boston College in 1986.
Almost 40 years later, they’re a significant favorite to do so once more, and rightly so. SMU feels like one of the slam dunks of bowl season.
Don’t expect a repeat of that tight 1986 edition. The spread is set at 10 points in favor of the Mustangs, and that might even be generous towards the Eagles. To my mind, there aren’t many games this postseason that are a bigger mismatch. Our Fenway Bowl prediction gives Rhett Lashlee’s team a 16-point cushion, but it could be even more than that.
MORE: 2023 College Football Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker
As a result, the over on the points total is very much in play. With a 48-point line, SMU could conceivably get there themselves, despite quarterback Preston Stone missing his second consecutive game following injury against Navy.
The two teams have combined to be 14-11 tallying more than the projected points line during the 2023 college football season.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
SMU Depth Chart | Boston College Depth Chart
- QB Kevin Jennings, SMU
- QB Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
- RB Jaylan Knighton, SMU
- RB LJ Johnson Jr, SMU
- RB Tyler Lavine, SMU
- RB Kye Robichaux, Boston College
- RB Alex Broome, Boston College
- RB Datrell Jones, Boston College
- WR Jordan Hudson, SMU
- WR Roderick Daniels Jr, SMU
- WR Jake Bailey, SMU
- WR Romello Brinson, SMU
- WR Dino Tomlin, Boston College
- WR Joseph Griffin, Boston College
- WR Lewis Bond, Boston College
- TE RJ Maryland, SMU
- TE Jeremiah Franklin, Boston College
There are four college football games on Tuesday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
There’s a lot of high-scoring fantasy potential in some of the Thursday bowl games, which may impact your Fenway Bowl picks. However, Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos is a viable option at the position. With 280.44 fantasy points this season, he’s been the main fantasy asset for the Eagles, with his dual-threat ability giving him multiple scoring avenues.
Expect plenty of running action in this game, with Kye Robichaux putting up 100+ yard games in three of his last five games and scoring five touchdowns over that spell. SMU has three running backs with over 50 carries this year, but Jaylan Knighton has led the way with seven touchdowns, 720 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, and 121 fantasy points — the most of any Mustang playing.
A rotation of receivers makes narrowing down one SMU WR to target difficult. However, tight end RJ Maryland is a legitimate flex option. He leads the team in yardage and touchdowns and has more fantasy points than any other pass catcher on the team. If Boston College can establish a passing game, then Lewis Bond will continue to be the main outlet for Castellanos.
Prediction for the Fenway Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Fenway Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Will the Mustangs trample their future ACC opponent to end a title-winning season in style? Or will Boston College end a tumultuous season by showcasing some style and stability to breathe hope into the 2024 college football campaign?
After losing to Northern Illinois to open the season, Boston College has been the ultimate rollercoaster team. A midseason streak of five wins led them to bowl season, but they haven’t won since beating a poor Syracuse team in early November. Offensive inconsistencies have blighted the team, but it’s the 29.5 points per game allowed that have cost this team.
MORE: Top Transfer Portal Departures From the ACC
Although they’re without their starting quarterback, SMU will ride with Kevin Jennings who offers plenty in the way of mobile creativity and flashed some arm talent to overcome the Tulane defense in the AAC Championship Game. Between the versatile ground game and a plethora of offensive weapons led by TE Maryland, they’ll have more than enough to put up points here.
While Boston College QB Castellanos is one of the brightest young talents in college football, this SMU defense is one of the best in the nation. Allowing just 17.4 points per game, they’ve been particularly adept at stopping the run game. Elijah Roberts has been a disruptive force in all phases and is a man to watch as SMU frustrates Boston College on both sides of the ball.
Prediction: SMU 37, Boston College 21
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!