Boston College (BC) Eagles vs. Florida Atlantic (FAU) Owls, Odds, Prediction and Picks for Monday, November 3, 2025
Use Code SSWC We have some opening night college hoops action in Boca Raton on Monday night, so get prepped with our Boston College vs. FAU predictions. The Eagles (12-19 SU, 13-18 ATS last season) finished under .500 in ACC play for the 14th straight season. The Owls (18-16 SU, 12-20-1 ATS last season) enjoyed a fifth straight winning season in conference play. These two get the season rolling is scheduled for 7:00 EST from the Baldwin Arena. Nobody does it better when it comes to free NCAAB picks!
Boston College hoping to spread their wings
The Eagles suffered an eight-game drop off from one season to the next, and they missed the NCAA Tournament for a 16th straight season. Earl Grant will no doubt enter his fifth season at the helm on the hot seat.
Pundits feel that things will be getting even hotter for the coach as the team was selected 18th, dead last, in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Following a breakout campaign in which he led the team with 15.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, guard Donald Hand Jr. returns. He had four double-doubles and averaged 2.3 threes per game last season. Fellow guard Fred Payne (6.9 points per game last season) also returns for a third season, so Boston College enters the season with a pretty strong foundation in the transfer portal era.
Of course, the Eagles had to test the waters themselves and came up big, in terms of size, grabbing three Power 5 transfers who check in at 6-foot-8 or bigger. Butler transfer Boden Kapke is a 6-foot-11 center who started 16 games last season. The 6-foot-9 Aiden Shaw comes to the Heights with three years of experience at Missouri. Massachusetts native Jason Asemota brings his 6-foot-8 frame back to the Commonwealth after a season with Baylor. With the added size, Grant said he was going to run numerous defensive schemes to keep opponents off balance and improve upon the 75.8 points per game allowed last season.
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Team notes
- Hand Jr. received a vote for ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
- South Dakota transfer Chase Forte averaged 26.5 points over the final six games last season.
- Boston College is 4-0 in season openers under Grant.
- The Eagles averaged 18.4 fouls per game last season, 304th overall.
Florida Atlantic looks to step back into the light
The Owls missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons last year, but the first season under head coach John Jakus wasn’t a complete disappointment as the first-year bench boss became just the third coach in school history to lead a team to an 18-win season.
Florida Atlantic was picked to finish 6th in the American Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They were forced to replace nine players and did so by bringing in four players via the transfer portal and then another six by way of high school or international recruits. Freshman Josiah Parker, a four-star recruit, is receiving a ton of hype and has Owls’ fans hopeful. The 6-foot-7 forward went 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the line, scoring 10 points against Florida Tech in the team’s lone exhibition. Junior guard Niccolo Moretti (6.4 points, 3.4 blocks per game last season) is the most seasoned returnee to the roster.
After losing their top six scorers, the Owls looked west, picking off UCLA transfer Devin Williams and USC transfer Isaiah Elohim to bolster their ranks. The 6-foot-10 Williams is long and will make it tough for shooters to get off shots. Elohim played in only 18 games last season and started one, but also dropped a career-high 11 points versus No. 7 Purdue late in the year on 4-4 shooting from the field. The Owls also added forward Maxim Logue, an Oregon State transfer who is athletic and will stretch the court for Florida Atlantic.
Team notes
- Parker was named American Preseason Freshman of the Year.
- Moretti was 28th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio last season.
- Their 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio was 53rd best in the country last season.
- Ranked 79th in the nation with a 53.4% effective field goal percentage.
Boston College vs. Florida Atlantic Picks
Spread Pick for BC vs. FAU
- Florida Atlantic -1 (5 units)
This is the fourth meeting all-time between the schools, with Boston College holding a 3-0 SU advantage. BC is thicker than they are tall and they will be a more physical bunch, though at times it may be to their detriment. This might be one of those times as they’ll be looking to come out early and bang the Owls around their home arena. They don’t want to get into foul trouble as Florida Atlantic shoots the ball well and can induce contact on shots for added opportunities at the line. The Eagles committed only 17 fouls in an exhibition versus UConn, but Hand and Payne took 57.4% of the team’s shots, so integrating their new pieces is going to take some time. The Owls lost their top six scorers from last season, but scored 110 points in their lone exhibition game, so they seem to have a decent enough handle on where the ball should be going.
Take the Owls to cover.
Over/Under Pick for BC vs. FAU
- Under 149 (5 units)
Florida Atlantic was second in the American in shooting, but 46.4% from the field isn’t particularly lights-out shooting. KenPom has them ranked 80th in tempo, but they are 209th in adjusted offense. So, while they were able to move the ball up the court quickly, they squandered their chances. Having to replace their top six scorers, Florida Atlantic’s offense is going to take a little while to figure out who they are. The Eagles have their top scorer back, but they also tend to try and run a lot of their offense through Hand. That will backfire when they struggle to find more scoring options when he is not on the floor. Boston College ranked 207th in tempo and 187th in adjusted offense last season, and I don’t see them improving much on those numbers.
Take the under.
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