Maybe, just maybe, the Syracuse Orange were looking ahead to their Week 3 matchup with No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers. That might help explain their dreadful effort in a 63-20 loss to Maryland. No team has played Clemson tougher over the last two seasons. The Orange pulled off a stunning upset at home two years ago and had a late lead last season before succumbing. Current college football odds have Clemson as 28-point chalk for the Saturday, September 14, battle inside the Carrier Dome. The game will air on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Clemson Tigers -28
Syracuse Orange +28
Over/Under 62
Clemson at Syracuse Odds Analysis
Following Clemson’s dominant win over No. 12 Texas AM and the pile of trash the Orange put up against Maryland, the line hit the board at Tigers -26. And what a shock, it was quickly wagered to -28. That’s more points than Cuse got last year when they went to Death Valley and nearly pulled off the upset for a second straight season. The Orange got 24.5-points and easily covered. Two years ago when the teams met inside the Carrier Dome, Syracuse pulled of a big upset, winning 27-24 as a 23.5-point dog. Over the last five meetings the Orange is 4-1 ATS getting at least 16 points in every encounter.
Clemson Odds
We haven’t seen the best of Trevor Lawrence this season, and Syracuse saw little of him last year. Lawrence was knocked out of the last meeting leaving Chase Brice to run the offense. All he did was matriculate the ball down the field in the closing minutes for the game-winning touchdown. Lawrence was at the helm last week in a 24-10 win over a tough Texas AM team. He passed for 268 yards and a touchdown, but it was Clemson’s defense that locked down on the Aggies. Clemson has been a road favorite of 20 or more points seven times since 2000 going 6-1 straight up. However, the Tigers are just 1-6 ATS and their only SU loss was at Syracuse.
Syracuse Odds
I’m not sure what to make of this Syracuse team. After winning 10 games in 2018 the Orange entered this season ranked for the first time since 1998. They had an easy time in the opener covering the 19.5-point line in a 24-0 win over Liberty. Then came last week’s disaster. “Obviously, we’re not as good as the first game, and I would like to think we’re not as bad as the second game,” coach Dino Babers said after Syracuse allowed 42 first half points and 650 total yards in the 63-20 loss. Syracuse is the last team to beat Clemson during the regular season with its 27-24 upset win in 2017.
Key Stats
The Syracuse defense better come to play on Saturday. The group should be well-rested after not showing up last week. When opponents can continue drives by converting on third down, the chances of putting up monstrous numbers increase. And that’s exactly what happened in Maryland. The Orange couldn’t stop the run and they worse against the pass. They also couldn’t get off the field. Syracuse allowed the Terps to convert 11 of 15 third downs and possess the ball for over 32 minutes.
Last Meeting
When a team goes undefeated and wins a national championship there are always defining moments to look back on. Last year’s game with Syracuse was one of those times for Clemson. In his first start Lawrence showed some jitters then he was knocked out of the game. Chase Brice was the backup option after Kelly Bryant left the squad, and Syracuse was thinking of another upset. Brice led a pair of scoring drives in the final quarter, the last coming with 40 seconds on the clock, as Clemson escaped with a 27-23 victory. The Tigers entered the contest as a 24.5-point favorite on the college football betting line. Lawrence completed 10 of 15 throws for 93 yards before exiting. Travis Etienne proved to be the workhorse with 203 yards on 27 carries and all three touchdowns.
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