Boston College hosts Rutgers on Friday night in the annual Red Bandanna game in Chestnut Hill. It’s a wonderful tradition by the Eagles, honoring one of their alumni. Welles Crowther, a former BC lacrosse player, lost his life in the September 11 attacks while saving the lives of others. This game is played on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and will no doubt be an emotional evening with a terrific crowd at Alumni Stadium. Let’s breakdown a betting angle on the game.
Rutgers vs. Boston College (Friday – 7:30pm ET)
Now that we’ve covered all the unique circumstances surrounding this game that makes it so exciting, let’s get to the matchup on the football field. It’s about as unappealing of a Power 4 matchup as you could imagine in college football.
Rutgers is off being on the wrong side of one of the biggest upsets in college football history, losing as 29.5-point favorites at home to UMASS. What was even more shocking was that the Minutemen dominated the game. The contest wasn’t even as close as the 37-21 final score.
However, there are reasons to believe the Scarlet Knights can bounce back. First on all, UMASS simply may be good. Its preseason win total of 2.5 is all the way up to 5.5 at DraftKings, juiced -220 to the over. Other shops are even showing 6.5. Clearly, Rutgers was caught off guard. It doesn’t excuse the performance, but it does give me belief it’ll be locked in on Friday.
With that game played on Thursday during Week 1, the Knights will have two extra days of rest and prep for BC. The Eagles did not look good in their opener either, falling 34-15 in Cincinnati. The Bearcats stuffed the ball down BC’s throat, running the ball 46 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles were also inefficient throwing the ball, with a FCS transfer looking to be in over his head.
I expect Rutgers to look completely different on Friday night. After being unable to run the ball against UMASS, look for the running game to lay the foundation for the Scarlet Knights to have success. Former BC QB, Dylan Lonergan, started for Rutgers in Week 1. He was a huge part of the problem, tossing three interceptions.
Greg Schiano turned to AJ Surace, who had a bit more success late in the game. Surace will get the nod under center for Rutgers in Week 2. With a functional running game and more capable QB, Rutgers has a great chance to avenge an embarrassing loss and get a nice road win.
Bill O’Brien’s tenure with Boston College continues to get worse. He lost his only game as a home favorite last season, and also fell at home to UConn as a one-point dog. The Eagles are just 2-5 straight up and ATS the last seven times the Red Bandanna game has been played, including 0-2 ATS when priced as the rare favorite.
Meanwhile, Rutgers has some historical trends that point in its direction. The Scarlet Knights were actually on a 16-5 ATS run in non-conference games, prior to the UMass loss. Dating back to the 2024 season, when Rutgers is priced as the underdog following an outright loss, it’s 5-2 ATS, including three outright wins.
Rutgers also struggled in Week 1 last season, barely pulling away from Ohio. It wound up winning by three points as a 15-point favorite. However, the Scarlet Knights bounced back strong with a 45-17 win and cover the following week over Miami OH.
I’ll take another bounce-back for this 2026 Rutgers squad. I’m grabbing the points with the road dog and think there’s a good chance they steal this one outright in Chestnut Hill.
Get more college football picks and analysis for Week 2 in my CFB best bets cheat sheet.
CFB Pick: Rutgers +3.5 (-115)
