Boston College Eagles vs East Carolina Pirates 2021 Military Bowl

Note: Due to COVID-19, the Military Bowl has been canceled. This was our take on that game.

The 2021 Military Bowl Presented by Peraton featuring our Boston College vs East Carolina prediction is the second and final bowl game scheduled for Monday, December 27. The Boston College Eagles (6-6) finished in a tie with Syracuse for last in the ACC Atlantic Division. Their conference mark was 2-6. In their last five games, the Eagles were 2-3. The East Carolina Pirates (7-5) ended the season tied for third in the AAC with a 5-3 mark. Over their final five games, the Pirates were 4-1 with the one loss being to #4 Cincinnati by a score of 35-13.

Military Bowl Spread and Totals Odds

In this game, East Carolina is the underdog at +3.0 (-115), while B.C. is favored by -3.0 (-105). The total is 52.5 with the over offered at -107 and under -113. The 2021 Military Bowl Presented by Peraton will be played outdoors at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD with kickoff at 2:30 pm ET. The weather forecast for game day is for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the high 50s and winds from the SSW at 5 mph with 12 mph gusts. There is a 30 percent chance of precipitation. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Eagles vs Pirates Pick - Stats

Our Boston College vs East Carolina prediction notes that the Pirates are better than the Eagles in points scored and total passing yards. ECU is averaging 29.7 PPG while BC is putting up 24.7 PPG. Pirates’ passing yards come to 270.8 per game while the Eagles have averaged 184.8. Both teams are rushing for just over 160 YPG.

Defensively, Boston College is holding teams to 22.2 PPG while East Carolina is allowing opponents 26.3. The Eagles are very tough when it comes to passing yards, as they' are permitting 173.5 per game. On the other hand, ECU is allowing 233.1 per game. The Pirates are a bit better than B.C. against the rush (161.8-170.3 YPG).

Boston College vs East Carolina Prediction - Key Players

B.C. quarterbacks Dennis Grosel (1,216 YDs, 57.8 COMP%, 6 TDs, 7 INTs, 13 SCKs) and Phil Jurkovec (914 YDs, 54.2 COMP%, 7 TDs, 4 INTs, 6 SCKs) will be looking to connect with wideout Zay Flowers (44 REC, 746 YDs, 17.0 AVG, 5 TDs) and tight end Trae Barry (21 REC, 362 YDs, 17.2 AVG, 4 TDs). Of the two signal callers, Jurkovec is the dual threat, averaging 6.4 yards per rushing attempt and scoring five times. Running back Pat Garwo III leads the Eagles with 1,045 rushing yards and seven scores. He’s averaging 5.1 YPA.

The Pirates are packing some serious offensive power, as quarterback Holton Ahlers (3,126 YDs, 61.8 COMP%,18 TDs, 10 INTs, 35 SCKs) leads the team. Along with 18 passing touchdowns, he snuck in on the ground for six more. The receiving group is deep. WR Tyler Snead (67 REC, 855 YDs, 12.8 AVG, 4 TDs) and tight end Ryan Jones (5 TDs) are premium performers. The rushing unit is also solid with Keaton Mitchell (174 ATT, 1,132 YDs, 6.5 AVG, 9 TDs) anchoring that group.On defense, ECU possesses a skilled secondary that includes corners Ja'Quan McMillian (15 PD, 5 INTs) and Malik Fleming (9 PD, 2 INTs) and safety Warren Saba (5 PD, 4 INTs).

Boston College vs East Carolina Prediction

We find that the Pirates bring a deeper and more productive offense to this game and an excellent pass and adequate rush defense. Our Boston College vs East Carolina prediction is the Pirates at +3.0 (-115). In terms of totals, we expect ECU will score approximately 38 points and B.C. 20. Thus, we like the over at 52.5 (-107)

Sports Betting Smarts is previewing and predicting every one of this season’s 41 college football bowl games. In the first week, we went 12-4 with an 8-2 mark on Saturday.

2021 Military Bowl - Boston College vs East Carolina Summary

Spread - East Carolina +3.0 (-115)

Over/Under - Over 52.5 (-107)