NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Bets we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue our preview with the ACC. Always competitive each season, the ACC is regularly among the nation’s top conferences with annual Final Four contenders Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. Last season, Miami made their first ever Final Four, guided by the March magic of head coach Jim Larrañaga. There are 15 teams in the ACC, making it the largest of all the power conferences. The critics continue to cite the weakness of the bottom ACC teams, which directly contributes to its sixth overall preseason ranking by KenPom. However, it still holds true that the top teams in the ACC will always have a chance at a Final Four run.
Let’s continue our betting previews with the Boston College Eagles.
2023-2024 Boston College Eagles Betting Preview
Conference: ACC
Head Coach: Earl Grant (3rd season)
2022-2023 Record: 16-17 (9-11)
ATS: 15-18
O/U: 20-13
Projected Starters: G Jaeden Zackery; G Claudell Harris Jr.; F Prince Aligbe; F Devin McGlockton; C Quinten Post
Head coach Earl Grant has made positive strides in just two seasons at Chestnut Hill. Boston College hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2009, after nine trips in the prior 15 seasons. Grant produced three more wins overall and a three-win improvement within the conference, setting up the Eagles for an above .500 finish this year. Boston College returns over 62% of their minutes from last year’s roster, led by 7-foot grad student Quinten Post, who was voted to the preseason All-ACC Second-Team at media day. Charleston Southern transfer Claudell Harris Jr. is projected to a starting spot and is a flammable scorer. Harris tallied consecutive 30-point games last season and posted 14 games with three or more made 3Ps.
Key Player: Prince Aligbe
The 6-foot-7 sophomore is a critical piece to the Eagles success this season, coming off a season with 24 starts. Aligbe can score, but struggles with consistency on his jump shot, and needs to be much more aggressive on defense. Aligbe was a bellwether for the Eagles, who were 5-2 when he scored double-figures.
Projection: Boston College is projected 12th in the 15-team ACC, with the upside to reach the middle of the conference. It is tough to win at Chestnut Hill, where football is the dominant force on campus. However, the Eagles have thrived when they have a good coach that can build chemistry. Grant has shown steady improvement and hopes to make progress towards an eventual NCAA Tournament appearance in the next few years. The Eagles have a much easier nonconference schedule and are poised for their first .500 or better season since 2018.
How I’m Betting Boston College: Despite the improvement, the Eagles simply have no home-court advantage in Conte Forum. Nicknamed “Conte Morgue,” it is difficult for Boston College to cover spreads at home, especially early in the season. The Eagles had the third-worst nonconference ATS mark at 2-9 (18.2%) last season. Per KenPom, the Eagles are favored in each of their first four games, three of which are home. However, each of those games projects to a single-digit spread. Prime spots to back the underdog with the points, or on the moneyline.
