Boston College vs Nebraska Predictions, Picks & Lines – Pinstripe Bowl

• Bowl season rumbles into the weekend with The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl featuring the Boston College Eagles and the Nebraska Cornhuskers
• The Cornhuskers are 3.5-point favorites on Saturday afternoon
• See the Boston College vs Nebraska prediction, picks, and odds on Dec. 28

Cool and mostly Cloudy weather will be prevalent in Boston as the Boston College Eagles (7-5, 6-5-1 ATS) as they face Nebraska (6-6) in the Bad Boys Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Cornhuskers stayed around a 3.5-point favorite underdog since the numbers opened. The football starts at Noon ET, televised on ABC.

Let’s dive further into our Boston College vs Nebraska prediction and odds for Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl.

Boston College vs Nebraska Odds

This is a reasonable line for two schools who have not played each other in decades. Can the Eagles pull off the mild upset of the Cornhuskers?

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Odds as of Dec. 28 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Be sure to claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code before making a wager on the college football bowl action.

Nebraska has been defeated in five of their past six games, while Boston College has won three of their previous four. So, Boston College is 1-2 against ranked teams, while Nebraska is 0-3 in 2024. The SRS for both teams is respectable. Nebraska ranks 33rd, and Boston College is 42nd.

Keep those NCAAF injuries and opt-outs in mind, however. Both teams are relatively healthy but have a few notables in the transfer portal. Grayson James takes over for outgoing Thomas Castellanos at quarterback for the Eagles. Nebraska has a whopping 19 players in the portal, with several significant defenders not playing.

Boston College Has Some Mobility

With Grayson James starting for Boston College, Matt Rhule and Nebraska cannot be too happy. James adds a run-pass option (RPO) and has a pretty good arm to throw down the field.

The senior tossed six touchdown passes to two interceptions over the final 4+ games. Furthermore, he ran for a couple of scores too. James will not scamper for 10 or 20 yards at a time, but in short-yardage or red-zone situations, the quarterbacks give Bill O’Brien and the Eagles some options.

With the @PinstripeBowl on deck, check out what @Grayson1James had to say about the opportunity to play in a bowl game in his first year with @BCFootball back in early December!

James sat down with our own @gculottapxp for a wide-ranging conversation after his first regular… pic.twitter.com/jd98Kgcp9W

— WZBC Sports (@WZBCSports) December 27, 2024

Thankfully, the Eagles will still have Donovan Ezeiruaku. A monster on the line was a consensus All-American on defense. Ezeiruaku made 21 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks (both led the ACC). Dylan Raiola probably will not feel too good knowing that the long-armed Senior will be motivated to go out a winner.

'25 @Lions Draft Prospect Donovan Ezeiruaku Edge Boston College
*His athletic profile includes good explosiveness, fluidity, and bend, which are crucial for an edge rusher. He demonstrates a high football IQ with a savvy pass rush plan, utilizing a variety of moves like the… pic.twitter.com/DWzn02xXDj

— GibbsSZN (@GibbsSZN26) December 23, 2024

Now, the Eagles are fortunate to have a player who can play linebacker, the EDGE or anywhere in the Front Seven in theory. This creates plenty of favorable matchups for a defense that can be a little more stout against an inconsistent Nebraska offense.

Boston College can put up some points, highlighted by their five-game streak of 27+ points.

Nebraska Is Favored Among The Books

Nebraska has Dylan Raiola, along with his ups and downs. Raiola only won one of his final five starts and had four interceptions to three touchdowns. He only passed for more than 200 yards once, and that was the 44-25 win over Wisconsin. Could that form resurface on Saturday? Sure. It will need to be, as the Eagles allow only 3.6 yards per carry.

Offensively, the depth needs to step up. Dante Dowdell and Emmett Johnson both are in the transfer portal. No significant wide receivers are there at least. Raiola will have to avoid mistakes and taking ill-advised sacks. Both were problems over the second half of his Freshman campaign.

Can he turn a bit of a corner on Saturday and vindicate the books?

Boston College vs Nebraska Prediction

• Boston College Moneyline at DraftKings
• Over 45.5 at DraftKings

Bluntly, Boston College is going to give up some points to score some points here. That is how the game flow over the past month has gone.

Again, Boston College likes to speed things up, while Nebraska may let Raiola play a little more loose. That adds up to higher scoring potentially, mistakes, and a potential Eagles mild upset.