Boston College vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Odds, Pick For College Football Week 1

By Fox Sports | Created at 2026-09-05 08:27:08 | Updated at 2026-09-05 09:50:03 2 hours ago

The Cincinnati Bearcats will host the Boston College Eagles on Saturday in a Week 1 college football matchup on FOX.

After starting last season 7-1, the Bearcats lost their final five games. Scott Satterfield is entering his fourth season as head coach, this time with a revamped roster that features more than 46 new players, including 22 transfers and 24 freshmen.

With Brendan Sorsby now gone, Cincinnati will turn to JC French IV at quarterback. French joins the Bearcats after a productive career at Georgia Southern, where he started all 13 games last season. He completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,929 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while adding 315 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Meanwhile, Boston College enters 2026 coming off a dreadful 2025 season in which it finished 2-10. The Eagles' defense struggled mightily, allowing 433.3 yards per game, which ranked 128th in the FBS and last in the ACC. BC also allowed 32.8 points per game, ranking 123rd nationally and 16th in the conference.

However, this roster looks completely different from a season ago.

After losing several key starters from past seasons, Boston College has heavily reworked its defensive line through the transfer portal while also adding younger talent throughout the entire roster. The Eagles will also turn to Mason McKenzie at quarterback. The dual-threat QB threw for 2,086 yards and 17 touchdowns at the Division II level last season while adding 942 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

With a lot of pressure on both coaches and teams to turn things around, let’s take a look at the odds for Boston College vs. Cincinnati at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 5.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Moneyline

Cincinnati: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Boston College: +245 (bet $10 to win $34.50 total)

Spread

Cincinnati -7.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Boston College +7.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)

Over/Under

Over 49.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Under 49.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)

From FOX Sports Research:

There might not be a coach on a hotter seat than Boston College's Bill O'Brien. It can't get much worse for BC, right? The Eagles have upgraded at quarterback, along the offensive line and on the defensive line, and on paper, this roster should be much improved. Meanwhile, Cincinnati showed flashes at times last season, but with Brendan Sorsby gone and the Bearcats entering 2026 on a five-game losing streak, there is some cause for concern. O'Brien should have plenty of urgency entering the season as he looks to turn things around and make a statement in Week 1. Take the Eagles plus the points.