Week 12 in the ACC: Picks

Hey, I was 4-2 again last week!  Moving forward, I believe you'll find that this week's slate of games is particularly awful.  On that note, enjoy.

Maryland at Florida State
Line: FSU -18.5

Florida State laying eighteen and a half?  I admit, I have my doubts, but I have few about the outcome of this game.  The Terps have been the conference's biggest disaster this year, while the Seminoles have at least won some games of import (despite not being that great themselves).  Maryland is 0-for-the-road this year and that's how they're going to finish it.  Pick: Florida State


North Carolina at Boston College
Line: BC -3.5

Easily the ACC's best game this week (because it's the only spread under 18.5 points).  I'll tell you about it on Friday.

Duke at #21 Miami
Line: Miami -20

Here's another spread that I think is a little generous to the favorite, though this time, I think the outcome is in a bit more doubt.  Duke is a respectable 5-5 this year for the first time in a long time, and they're trying to get bowl-eligible.  Miami, on the other hand, started the year with a few good wins and had high BCS hopes, but are now sitting towards the bottom and will have to settle for one of the second-rate ACC bowls.  I don't know why, but I could actually see this being close for a while before the Hurricanes pull away.  Perhaps Jacory Harris's 16 interceptions scare me a little.  I'll take the home team, but if I were picking against the spread, I probably wouldn't.  Pick: Miami

Virginia at #18 Clemson 
Line: Clemson -20.5

So this Virginia team, which scored all of three offensive points last week, is Boston College's final hope of going to the championship game.  It will take a miracle for the Wahoos to win this one, and it could get particularly ugly for them.  The only way they even have a chance is for their defense to shut down CJ Spiller and the Clemson offense, which is no easy task at all.  Clemson will likely seal their bid to the title game.  Pick: Clemson

North Carolina State at #16 Virginia Tech
Line: VT -21

Things haven't quite worked out for NC State as they've planned.  In their third season under ex-Eagle Tom O'Brien, the Wolfpack faithful thought they'd be contending or showing real signs of improvement by now.  The only thing NC State contends for at the moment is last place in the ACC Atlantic.  Virginia Tech, though not as tough as they looked at the start of the year, is still very likely to bring the pain on Saturday.  Pick: Virginia Tech