Florida State vs. Boston College prediction, picks, spread, odds, where to watch, TV channel, live stream

Florida State has kicked off its 2024 home schedule with more urgency than fans expected. The Seminoles hope to avoid an 0-2 finish when they face Boston College on Monday night.

A last-second 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland last week dealt a blow to Florida State’s plans to advance to the ACC for a second consecutive season, and although the ‘Noles have a few extra days to adjust after international travel, there’s little time left with the next conference opponent on the schedule. Boston College is now led by former Penn State and Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who is returning to his home state for his next head coaching gig after three seasons as an offensive coordinator at Alabama and in the NFL. The Eagles were a bowl team a year ago and have a dynamic quarterback back in Thomas Castellanos, but whether or not they’re ready to repeat Georgia Tech’s Week 0 feat will only be known after kickoff on Monday.

So with Florida State looking to get back on track after a surprising loss, and Boston College looking to get the Bill O’Brien era off to a strong start, there’s a lot at stake in this lone ACC contest in Tallahassee.

Florida State vs. Boston College: Things to know

Florida State’s offensive game is looking toward more consistency: The Seminoles demolished Georgia Tech’s defense on their first offensive possession of the game, and DJ Uiagalelei came up big at a key moment during the long game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. However, for the five offensive possessions in between, the offense averaged just 4.0 yards per play and scored a total of six points on a pair of field goals of 50-plus yards. If Florida State is going to compete for the ACC title in 2024, it must be able to consistently make big plays and take advantage of scoring opportunities by getting to the end zone rather than settling for field goals. When looking at what can be accomplished in their second game of the season, a more consistent performance offensively is a great start.

Castellanos is an X-factor for the Eagles: Boston College nearly upset Florida State in September of last season, putting the eventual ACC champions on the brink in a 31-29 Seminoles win. Castellanos was a force in that game, throwing for 305 yards and running for 95 yards while scoring two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Over the season, Castellanos became just the fifth ACC quarterback since 1996 to record 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season, joining Lamar Jackson (twice) and Deshaun Watson on the list. Florida State’s defense had trouble stopping Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King at times,

Hoping to return to recent form: Since the start of 2022, Florida State is 23-5 overall, with a winning percentage (.821) that is best in the ACC over that span and inside the top-six nationally in total number of wins (fourth) and winning percentage (sixth). While Mike Norvell’s first season at the helm in Tallahassee included some disappointing losses as he laid the foundation for his program, there were few occasions when the Seminoles lost games they were expected to win like they did against Georgia Tech in Week 0. A return to form against Boston College would be a welcome sign for FSU fans and an indication that perhaps the overseas result was more of an anomaly than a sign of a step down from the program’s recent contender status.

How to watch the Florida State vs Boston College match live

date: Monday, September 2 | Time: 7:30 pm ET
Place: Doak Campbell Stadium – Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live Stream: fubo (try it free)

Florida State vs. Boston College predictions, picks

Odds via SportsLine Consensus

Florida State learned a lot about its new players in the loss to Georgia Tech, and I hope we see a little more certainty from a game-planning and play-calling standpoint. More offensive consistency and success should lead to more points for the Seminoles, but I’m not ready to think Castellanos is going to be bottled up, given what he did to a much better defense last season. This feels like a Florida State win, especially at home, but with the big numbers on the spread I’ll stick to my belief in offensive success for both teams. Select: Over 50.5

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