The Boston College Eagles (9-16) and Florida State Seminoles (12-13) are set to face off on Tuesday night, going head-to-head in Tallahassee. The ACC showdown will tip off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN’s ACC Network.
The Seminoles are 12.5-point home favorites with -900 moneyline odds, and the total has been set at 147.5 points. Here is a preview of the conference matchup, featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Boston College at Florida State Preview, Prediction
Boston College Preview
The Eagles came up short in a bunch of close contests to open the season, losing to FAU, Tulane and LSU in overtime on top of their defeats at the hands of Central Connecticut State and UMass. Boston College notched back-to-back home wins over Syracuse and Pittsburgh on Jan. 17 and 21, but it has otherwise gone on separate four-game and six-game losing streaks in conference play.
Fred Payne leads the Eagles with 15.0 points and 2.8 assists per game this season. Donald Hand Jr. ranks second with 13.8 points per game to go along with his 5.0 rebounds a night. Payne and Hand combine for 11.9 three-point attempts per game, but they shoot just 28.2% from beyond the arc. Hand notably suffered an injury on Feb. 11 and missed Boston College’s last game on Feb. 14, and he’ll miss tonight’s contest as well. Center Boden Kapke has put up solid numbers since joining the starting lineup, averaging 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Luka Toews is BC’s most efficient three-point shooter with his 45.0% mark, while Jayden Hastings is shooting a team-high 60.6% from the field and averaging 6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Boston College ranks outside the top 300 nationally in two-point percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, points per game, assists per game and steals per game. It does rank No. 3 in blocks and No. 4 in points against in the ACC, though.
The Eagles rank No. 150 in the updated KenPom ratings, owning the No. 271 adjusted offense and No. 55 adjusted defense. As for the NET rankings, Boston College comes in at No. 152, going 0-5 against Quad 1, 1-6 against Quad 2, 3-4 against Quad 3 and 5-1 against Quad 4. Tuesday’s game at Florida State constitutes a Quad 2 matchup.
Florida State Preview
The Seminoles only lost at then-No. 10 Florida by two points in their headlining matchup of the early nonconference slate, and they still managed to jump out to a 5-1 start. They proceeded to suffer five straight decisive defeats, however, losing to Texas A&M, Georgia, then-No. 8 Houston, UMass and Dayton. Florida State also opened ACC play on a five-game losing streak to fall to 7-11, but it is 5-2 since, with both of those losses coming by just three points. Its last game was a 23-point win over Virginia Tech, which is currently a bubble team for March Madness.
Robert McCray V leads Florida State with 14.7 points and 6.0 assists per game. Six-foot-10 forward Chauncey Wiggins is the only player in the Seminoles’ rotation who stands taller than 6-foot-8, but he is more of a stretch big averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 boards per game. Wiggins, Lajae Jones, Kobe MaGee and sixth man Martin Somerville each jack up between 5.0 and 6.0 three-point attempts a night, although Somerville is the only one who shoots above 35%. Forward Alex Steen rounds out the starting lineup with 7.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Florida State ranks No. 6 in the country in three-point attempts per game, but only No. 30 in makes, leading to a team percentage that ranks No. 302. While it gives up the most points per game in the ACC, it does average the second-most offensive boards and fourth-most steals.
Per the latest KenPom ratings, the Seminoles rank No. 87 on offense, No. 79 on defense and No. 79 overall. They come in at No. 82 in the NET, going 2-9 against Quad 1, 3-3 against Quad 2, 0-1 against Quad 3 and 7-0 against Quad 4. Tuesday’s game versus Boston College constitutes a Quad 3 matchup.
Boston College at Florida State Pick, Best Bet
The Eagles are 1-9 in neutral site and away games this season, with the lone win coming at Temple over three months ago. They have lost by 12, 13, 24, four and 18 points in their five conference road games. The only time they lost by fewer than a dozen points came against Notre Dame, who is notably in the same ballpark as Florida State in the NET and KenPom. Boston College also lost by 12 points to a Georgia Tech team that is outside the top 150 in the NET, KenPom and T-Rank. It is also fresh off an 11-point loss to Cal – a comparable opponent to Florida State – at home. The Seminoles, meanwhile, beat the Golden Bears when they came to Tallahassee.
Florida State ranks No. 22 in adjusted tempo, per KenPom, while Boston College ranks No. 262. Playing on their home floor, carrying far more momentum than the Eagles, the Seminoles should be able to control the pace Tuesday. Considering BC boasts one of the least effective shooting lineups in the country, it probably won’t be able to keep pace with a more balanced Florida State team fighting for a bye in the ACC tournament.
Best Bet: Florida State -12.5 (-108)
Boston College at Florida State FAQs
What time is Boston College at Florida State?
Tip-off for Boston College at Florida State is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
What is Boston College men’s basketball’s record?
Entering Tuesday’s game vs. Florida State, Boston College men’s basketball is 9-16 overall and 2-10 in-conference.
What is the Florida State men’s basketball’s record?
Entering Tuesday’s game vs. Boston College, Florida State men’s basketball is 12-13 overall and 5-7 in-conference.
Where are the Boston College Eagles in the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball standings?
Going into its game vs. Florida State, Boston College is in 16th place the ACC men’s basketball standings.
Where are the Florida State Seminoles in the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball standings?
Going into its game vs. Boston College, Florida State is in 12th place in the ACC men’s basketball standings.
