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The Clemson Tigers (2-2, 0-2 ACC) travel for a conference game against the Syracuse Orange (4-0, 0-0 ACC) Saturday. Kickoff from JMA Wireless Dome is scheduled for noon ET (ABC). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Clemson vs. Syracuse odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Orange are unblemished through 4 games this season, but open up their ACC season against their toughest test to date. Only one of Syracuse’s wins is against a Power 5 school, a 35-20 road win at Purdue. What has been the most impressive has been the Orange defense, which is allowing just 14.3 points per game, good for 12th-best in the nation.
The offense has been phenomenal as well, averaging 44 points on 508 yards per game. It’s led by QB Garrett Shrader who leads the Orange not only in passing but rushing as well. He is completing 67 percent of his passes and averaging 7 yards per carry on the ground this season.
It’s hard to imagine that Clemson is already 0-2 in ACC play, but here we are. The Tigers are coming off of a heartbreaking 31-24 overtime loss to No. 4 Florida State. The offense has been good with QB Cade Klubnik at the helm. He led them to 24 points and 429 yards in the loss to Florida, but the Clemson defense was torched for 289 yards through the air by the Seminoles. They’ll have to stiffen up against a Syracuse offense that averages nearly 300 passing yards per game.
Clemson has won 9 of their last 10 meetings with Syracuse, but the Orange covered in 7 of those games. The Tigers won 27-21 win in Death Valley last Oct. 22, but the Orange covered the 14-point spread. Also the under 50.5 hit last year which was the 8th time that’s happened in their last 10. Syracuse has covered 4 straight before pushing last week against Army while Clemson has failed to cover in 4 of their last 5 games.
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Clemson at Syracuse odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1:01 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Clemson -250 (bet $250 to win $100) | Syracuse +200 (bet $100 to win $200)
- Against the spread (ATS): Clemson -6.5 (-110) | Syracuse +6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 53.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Clemson at Syracuse picks and predictions
Prediction
Clemson 24, Syracuse 20
Moneyline
This will be a tight contest between 2 teams that have formed quite a rivalry recently. Clemson is the more talented team on paper, but I don’t believe they should be such a heavy favorite — it would be around -175 if I was setting the line. It would not shock me to see Syracuse win this game outright, but I’m going to look to the spread for this bet.
PASS.
Against the spread
BET SYRACUSE +6.5 (-110).
All Syracuse does is play tight games against Clemson as 4 of their last 6 matchups have had a margin of victory less than 7. I believe those Clemson teams were better than this current iteration.
I have Clemson winning the game, but Syracuse should keep this tight down to the wire.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 53.5 (-110).
The Under has cashed in 6 of the last 7 meetings and I don’t see this game being much different. While I don’t think Syracuse will hold Clemson under 15 points, which is what they’ve allowed on average this season, it won’t be much over that.
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