$100 Match Bonus from Bodog!
Open an new account with Bodog and deposit $100 or more for a $100 match bonus!

BetUS $500 Match Bonus
Sign up for a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more to get a $500 match bonus.

2009 Emerald Bowl Odds: Boston College v. USC Football Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on December 22, 2009

The 8-4 Boston College Eagles take on the 8-4 USC Trojans on December 26th in the 2009 edition of the Emerald Bowl at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. The game will be available on ESPN. NCAA football odds makers have listed USC as a 7.5-point favorite with the total set at 44.

Want more bang for your buck with your NCAA football betting this bowl season? Bet your NCAA football picks at BetUS and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

While it is no surprise to see Boston College in a late-December bowl, it’s been a while since we’ve seen USC in one. In fact, the Trojans find themselves outside the BCS for the first time since 2001 as they saw their streak of seven straight Pac-10 titles come to an end.

USC has been one of the best teams in the country at reloading year after year, but it was not able to do so this season. Mark Sanchez’ decision to head to the NFL left the Trojans with freshman Matt Barkley under center, who led the Pac-10 with 12 interceptions. The defense also had holes after losing the most talented crop of linebackers in the country to the NFL.

USC put itself in position for another BCS bowl early in the season went it was 6-1 and No. 4 in the nation, but it lost three of its last five games to fall completely out of the Top 25 poll.

One thing is certain heading into this contest, Barkley must do a better job of taking care of the football if USC hopes to come away victorious. The freshman has thrown at least one interception in eight straight games.

USC’s offense could be dealt a major blow if leading rusher Joe McKnight is not able to go. McKnight led the Trojans with 1,014 rushing yards this season. USC has said that it is investigating whether McKnight drove an SUV registered to an L.A. business man, and his status is still uncertain. It is worth noting that the Trojans are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 bowl games. If you like the Trojans to win and cover Saturday, bet USC at -7.5 at BetUS.

The Eagles were able to reach the postseason for an 11st straight year under first-year head man Frank Spaziani. That’s quite the accomplishment, especially since the Eagles were picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic.

Boston College has enjoyed some of the better bowl success in the country, having won eight straight bowl games before a 16-14 defeat to Vanderbilt in last year’s Music City Bowl.

Like USC, Boston College also struggled because of its inconsistent quarterback play. Freshman Dave Shinskie completed an ACC-worst 52.8 percent of his pass attempts and threw 13 interceptions. Because of Shinskie’s struggles, the Eagles have looked to running back Montel Harris to carry the load. Harris really played well down the stretch with 561 yards in his final four games to finish with 1,355 yards and 13 scores on the season. It is worth noting that the Eagles are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 bowl games as an underdog. If you like this trend to continue, bet Boston College at +7.5 at BetUS.

Jimmy Boyd has dominated the bowl season each of the last two years, finishing the 2007-08 bowl season on a 14-5 run and the 2008-09 season on a 10-4 home stretch run. Crush your book again this year through the BCS Championship Game with Jimmy’s expert football picks!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: