Clemson Tigers vs. Boston College Eagles Betting Odds, College Football Pick

The Clemson Tigers are 5-0 in their last five meetings with Boston College, but they're only 2-3 against the spread because they've been favored by so much. Coming off a huge victory at home, the Tigers hit the road on a short week to take on the Eagles in Chestnut Hill on Friday night.

Point spread: The Tigers opened as 17-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, per the Odds Shark computer: 38.6-15.4 Tigers (College football picks on every game)

Why Clemson can cover the spread

Clemson just won the game of the year (so far) in college football, outlasting Lamar Jackson and Louisville 42-36 in Death Valley. The Tigers spotted the Cardinals the first touchdown of the game but scored the next three and led 28-10 at the half. They then let Jackson get loose for a while and fell behind by eight points, but they responded by scoring the last two touchdowns of the game for the victory and the cash.

On the night, Clemson came up with 507 yards of offense, highlighted by Heisman candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson, who threw for 306 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 91 more yards. Two weeks ago, the Tigers won at Georgia Tech, covering 10 points, and just before that, they bombed South Carolina State to cover 53 points. Simply put, Clemson has been a cash machine as of late.

Why Boston College can cover the spread

Since getting embarrassed at Virginia Tech three weeks ago, Boston College has won two straight games, including beating Buffalo last week 35-3. The Eagles took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, led 21-3 at the half and blanked the Bulls from there, tacking on two touchdowns late to secure the cover as 18-point favorites.

Boston College dominated Buffalo both on the field and on the scoresheet, outgaining the Bulls 400-67 and winning time of possession by a lopsided 43:07-16:53 split. The Eagles have already equaled last season's win total, outgaining and outrushing four of their five opponents along the way.

Smart pick

The best time to bet the best teams in college football is when they're on the road, when the spreads are more amenable. But Clemson is coming off a huge emotional effort last week and playing on the road on short rest. Boston College has covered three in a row against the Tigers, and if the Eagles can get a bit of a running game going and avoid the turnovers, they could cover this one as well.

Betting trends

Clemson is 5-0 straight up in its last five games against Boston College.

Clemson is 0-3 ATS in its last three games against Boston College.

Clemson is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after consecutive wins.

All college football betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.