California Golden Bears vs Boston College Eagles Picks and Predictions March 1st 2025

ACC Tournament Berth on the Line for Boston College, Cal

Two teams desperate for a win will face off Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif., as Boston College and Cal fight for the final spot in the ACC Tournament.

Neither team enters the matchup with much momentum. Boston College (12-16, 4-13 ACC) has yet to win a road game this season (0-8), while Cal (12-16, 5-12 ACC) has not won a game since Feb. 5, dropping five straight contests.

Adding to the drama, only the top 15 teams qualify for the ACC tournament, meaning the loser of this game could find itself on the outside looking in when postseason play begins.

Boston College Seeking First Road Win

The Eagles had momentum heading into Wednesday’s matchup at Stanford, after securing back-to-back home wins against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. However, their road struggles continued, as they suffered a 78-60 loss to the Cardinal.

Boston College’s offense was completely out of sync in the first half, committing 12 turnovers while falling behind 37-19 at halftime.

“We needed to be better, right?” Boston College coach Earl Grant said. “We needed to be better as a team, early. Thought we turned the ball over, made mistakes.”

Donald Hand Jr., the ACC’s reigning Player of the Week and Boston College’s leading scorer (16.2 ppg), struggled in the loss, finishing with just six points on 2-for-10 shooting.

Cal Trying to End Losing Streak in Final Home Game

The Golden Bears will play their final home game of the season, hoping to reverse their recent struggles.

Cal fell to SMU 81-77 on Wednesday, marking their third loss in four home games. Much like Boston College, Cal’s slow first half proved costly, as they allowed SMU to shoot 58.1 percent from the field before the break and fell behind 42-29 at halftime.

Head coach Mark Madsen didn’t hold back in his assessment of the team’s sluggish start.

“We were slow on rotations defensively in the first half,” Madsen said. “We were playing with nonchalance on both ends of the court.”

Andrej Stojakovic, Cal’s leading scorer (17.3 ppg), has struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 30.5 percent from 3-point range this season. However, he remains a key offensive weapon for a team in desperate need of a turnaround.

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Head-to-Head History and What’s at Stake

Boston College is 3-0 all-time against Cal, though all previous matchups took place on neutral courts. Their most recent meeting came in 2019, when the Eagles secured a win at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

With ACC tournament hopes hanging in the balance, both teams will be playing with urgency. Boston College needs to prove it can win on the road, while Cal must defend its home court in its season finale.

For one team, this game will provide a path to the postseason. For the other, it could mark the end of the road.