FSU vs Syracuse NCAA Football Betting Preview

FSU vs Syracuse NCAA Football Betting Preview

Written by on October 30, 2015

The Florida State Seminoles will look to bounce back from their crushing Week 8 loss and cover the College Football spread as huge home favorites when they host a reeling Syracuse Orange team that has dropped four straight coming into this Week 9 ACC showdown. Now, let’s fid out if the Seminoles can bring home the bacon as near three-touchdown home faves!

How To Bet the Orange @ Seminoles NCAAF Odds, TV & Game Info

When: Saturday, October 31, 12:00 PM ET Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida TV: ABC NCAAF Odds: Florida State -20.5

How to bet the Florida State Seminoles (6-1 SU, 3-4 ATS)

The 17th-ranked Seminoles are coming off a devastating 22-16 loss to Georgia Tech while failing to cover the spread as a 5.5-point road favorite in Week 8. Florida State lost the game on the final play of regulation when Syracuse’s Lance Austin recovered a blocked field goal attempt and returned it 78 yards as time expired to lift Georgia Tech to victory. “In football, anything can happen,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “As a coach, you have to go through that, and we have to learn from that. Like a win, after 24 hours, we have to get our mistakes corrected, and we move on. We can’t let one loss become two.” Quarterback Everett Golson completed 20 of 30 passes for 210 yards with one interception and no touchdowns in the loss while running back Dalvin Cook rushed 17 times for 82 yards and one score while battling a hamstring injury. Wide Receiver Kermit Whitfield led the ‘Noles with six catches for 61 yards and no touchdowns while the versatile Cook also added four receptions for 50 yards.

How to bet the Syracuse Orange (3-4 SU, 5-2 ATS)

Syracuse fought hard but lost a heartbreaker in falling to the Pittsburgh Panthers 23-20 last Saturday despite covering the spread as a 9.5-point home dog. Quarterback Eric Dungey completed 21 of 30 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but also tossed two costly interceptions in the loss. After leading 17-1 at the half, Dungey threw back-to-back interceptions in the third quarter as Syracuse was limited to just three second half points while getting outscored 10-0 in the final quarter. “Two plays,” Dungey said. “Those were really just ones where it’s going to be hard to fall asleep tonight.” Syracuse lost on the strength of the game’s biggest play – a fake punt that fooled an Orange team that has successfully pulled off multiple fake punts this season. Pittsburgh punter Ryan Winslow made the play of the game when he hit linebacker Matt Galambos for a big first down pass that went to the Syracuse 40-yard-line. The Panthers would eventually advance the ball to the six-yard-line before kicker Chris Blewitt nailed a 25-yard game-winning field goal on the last play of the game. “We were on the sideline and (Narduzzi) called the signal and we went out there and told the guys on offense that were still out there that we were going to run it, and it was go time,” Winslow said. “I was excited, because it was a pivotal play.”

My Expert Game Analysis and Pick

54 percent of the betting public likes Florida State to cover the spread at home, but I don’t. Syracuse is 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four road games against a team with a winning home record and an identical 5-2 ATS in their last seven games and L/7 games against a team with a winning record. The Orange have been playing a lot better the last couple of weeks and have dropped their last two by a combined nine points. I like the Orange to cover the spread as nearly three-touchdown road dogs. My Pick: Florida State 31 Syracuse 21