Boston College vs Rhode Island Odds, Lines, and Spread (Nov. 17)
- Rhode Island is a 5.5-point favorite over Boston College on Wednesday, November 17th (6 pm ET)
- The Rams enter the game 2-0, while the Eagles are a perfect 3-0 to start the season
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
It’s not the best game on the Wednesday night college hoops slate, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a sweat. Rhode Island (2-0) hosts Boston College (3-0) in a battle of undefeated programs at the Ryan Center in Kingston, RI.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 pm ET with the home team established as the betting favorite.
Boston College vs Rhode Island Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College Eagles | OFF | +5.5 (-105) | O 139.5 (-110) |
| Rhode Island Rams | OFF | -5.5 (-115) | U 139.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Nov. 16th at DraftKings.
The Rams opened up as a 5.5-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 139.5. Both of these programs are long shots to be dancing in March, as Rhode Island projects to be a bottom-five team in the A-10 conference, while the Eagles are the consensus pick to finish last in the loaded ACC.
Rams On a Roll
Rhode Island has yet to play a competitive game this season, posting victories of 9 and 19 points. Last time out, they routed Bryant 83-64, led by the 17 points and 5 blocks of Makhi Mitchell.
Lets do this again sometime… Same time Wednesday? pic.twitter.com/NB1HoFIsez
— Rhody MBB (@RhodyMBB) November 15, 2021
Leading scorer Ishmael Leggett splashed 13 points and pulled down 6 boards, while Jeremy Sheppard chipped in 10 points of his own.
The Rams shot 50% from the field versus the Bulldogs, including 39% from three, but the big takeaway was their dominance on the glass and at the defensive end.
Rhode Island held Bryant to just 26.1% from the field, while outrebounding them by 24, and racking up 12 blocks and 6 steals. They outscored the Bulldogs by 19 points in the second half, building a lead as large as 22 before cruising to victory.
Excited to create some more memorable moments at the Ryan Center this season!#TheRhodyWay | #GoRhody pic.twitter.com/03uKOiKodD
— Rhody MBB (@RhodyMBB) November 12, 2021
Three of five starters from last season’s team are back, but they did lose their leading scorer from a year ago Fatts Russell to the transfer portal. As mentioned, not much is expected out of this program this season, although one thing they do have working in their favor is any easy non-conference schedule.
Both their first two opponents ranked 191st or lower in KenPom’s overall efficiency metrics, while BC checks in at number 130.
Eagles Flying High at the Moment
Boston College is off to its second 3-0 start in the past three years, posting victories by 8 or more points each time out. They’ve racked up a +56 point differential and are fresh off a 72-64 win over Fairfield.
First road trip of the year 🤙 pic.twitter.com/4N8XUTqWDj
— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) November 16, 2021
Makai Ashton Langford led the way with 17, while Demarr Langford poured in 16, and Jaedan Zackery added 13. The Eagles shot 50% from the field, and drained an impressive 66.7% of their three-point attempts.
Defensively, BC held the Stags to 39.6% from the field, while picking up 6 steals and 4 blocks. The Eagles have limited all three opponents below 65 points, and rank third among ACC teams in the early going in scoring defense.
Defense ➡️ Offense.
The Eagles force a shot clock violation and one offensive rebound later, Jaeden Zackery is at the line with a chance at an and-1.
Under 12 timeout: BC leads Fairfield 51-42 #ForBoston🦅 pic.twitter.com/7qrMyofTHB
— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) November 14, 2021
BC is rolling out five new starters this season, and feature just two players who saw significant minutes in 2020-21.
Boston College vs Rhode Island Pick
The Eagles are a nice story, but it’s time to pour some cold water on their hot start. Their wins are over aforementioned Fairfield, as well as Holy Cross and Dartmouth, three teams that all rank 220th or worse per KenPom.
Now, they have to go on the road to Rhode Island for their first away game, and the Eagles have not fared well away from home over the past handful of seasons. They were winless in seven road contests last season, and since 2016 are just 8-43 outside of their own building.
To make matters worse, the Rams have been elite at neutralizing their opposition. Rhode Island has held opposing teams to 30.6% from the field this season, the lowest shooting percentage yielded among all Division 1 teams.
Pick: Rhode Island Rams (-5.5)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
