The No. 3 Clemson Tigers will take the field against the Syracuse Orange in a showdown where one unbeaten streak is going to reach five games. Kickoff for this big matchup is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to ABC.
Betting Preview: Syracuse Orange at Clemson Tigers
Clemson has been tabbed as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 22 points to Syracuse. This ACC game is a toss-up, and oddsmakers have yet to determine where the game’s over/under (O/U) will be set.
The opening line was originally set at -21, but has recently shifted.
Both of these teams have been profitable this year as the Orange have gained 2.5 units while the Tigers are up 2.0 units.
The Orange are 4-0 straight up (SU), including 1-0 SU against ACC opponents. The Tigers are 4-0 SU overall and 1-0 SU in conference play.
The Orange are looking to remain unbeaten following a 51-21 victory over Connecticut last week. The passing attack was sharp as Eric Dungey completed 21 passes on 27 attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Dungey (77 rushing yards on 16 attempts, three TDs) also led the ground attack and was complemented by Moe Neal (116 yards on 13 carries). Nykeim Johnson (seven receptions, 78 yards) and Sean Riley (six catches, 120 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Clemson is coming off of a 49-21 win over Georgia Tech. As a group, the Tigers collectively completed 19-of-30 passes for 232 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Trevor Lawrence went 13-for-18 for 176 yards, four touchdowns and one interception while Kelly Bryant was six-of-10 for 56 yards. Travis Etienne (122 rushing yards on 11 attempts, one TD) and Tavien Feaster (75 yards on eight carries, one TD) handled the running game as Amari Rodgers (six receptions, 60 yards) and Cornell Powell (three catches, 17 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Syracuse has run the ball on 62.3 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Clemson has an overall rush percentage of 54.8 percent. The Orange have rushed for 278.0 yards/game and have 12 scores on the ground this year. The Tigers are logging 230.3 rushing yards per game and have 10 total rush TDs.
It seems like the Tigers should have an edge when it comes to RB effectiveness, as their backfield has logged 6.2 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 2.3 to opponents. The Orange have tallied 5.3 yards per carry while allowing 4.0 YPC to opponents.
The Orange offensive scheme has averaged 245.3 yards in the air overall and has 10 passing scores so far. The Tigers have recorded 274.5 pass yards per contest and have 11 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Syracuse has allowed opponents to run for an average of 130.8 yards and throw for 255.3 yards per game. The Clemson defense has allowed 148.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 103.5 yards per game on the ground. The Orange are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.01 to opponents, while the Tigers have given up a 7.41 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Dungey has amassed 688 yards this year. The signal-caller has completed 51-of-76 attempts with nine scores through the air and only one interception. Dungey has a 10.38 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 8.70 over the past two outings.
The Orange will likely try to maintain tempo by pounding the defense with their running backs. Along with Sean Riley (174 yards, two TDs), Moe Neal (271 rush yards, two rush TDs) and Jarveon Howard (129 rush yards) have brought significant production to the Syracuse offensive scheme.
In the other locker room, Trevor Lawrence has managed to complete 27-of-41 passes for 406 yards, eight TDs and one INT. Lawrence’s ANY/A sits at 12.71 for the year and 10.27 across his last two games.
The Tigers also prefer to leverage their backfield. Along with Justyn Ross (69 receiving yards, two receiving TDs), Travis Etienne (229 rush yards, three rush TDs, one receiving TD) and Tavien Feaster (98 rush yards, one rush TD) have seen a lot of touches lately.
When these two teams met last year, Syracuse won by a field goal 27-24.
Syracuse Orange at Clemson Tigers Free NCAA Betting Tip
SU Winner: Clemson, ATS Winner: Syracuse
Team Betting Trends
- The Clemson defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 16 times this season. Syracuse has produced 13 sacks.
- Clemson has lost one fumble this season while Syracuse has let two get away.
- The Orange offense has tallied one pass play of 40 or more yards, while the Tigers have accounted for nine such plays.
- The Syracuse defense has allowed five pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Clemson has given up two such plays.
- The Syracuse offense has created five rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Clemson has created nine such runs.
- The Orange defense has allowed eight rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Tigers have given up six such runs.
- Clemson was the underdog by 16 points in its last match and the O/U was 55.5. The over cashed and Clemson covered in the team’s 49-21 victory over Georgia Tech.
- In its last three matchups, Clemson is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- Over its last three matches, Syracuse is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- Syracuse was favored by 31 points in its last game and the O/U was 75.5. The under cashed and Syracuse failed to cover in the 51-21 victory over Connecticut.
- Syracuse has produced 5.32876712328767 yards per carry across its last three contests and 5.5 over its last two.
- Clemson has averaged 5.9 yards per carry over its last three outings and 6.8 over its past two.
