The No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers (-7) are coming into the Camping World Bowl as favorites as they prepare to battle the No. 17 Syracuse Orange. The opening kickoff for this big game is set for 5:15 p.m. ET and ESPN is scheduled to televise the action.
Betting Preview: Syracuse Orange vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
In this Friday matchup, West Virginia is tabbed as the favorite and is currently giving up 7 points. In order to take the favorite, moneyline gamblers would currently have to wager $300 to win $100 back on the Mountaineers (-300). The Orange are getting +220 moneyline odds. If one program can catch a lucky break early it will create a worthwhile live betting scenario. Oddsmakers have determined the over/under (O/U) to be 75.5 points.
This game’s over/under was set originally at 74, but the over is getting the majority of the early sharp action.
The Mountaineers are 7-3-1 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 0.3 units so far. The team has posted an Over-Under record of 7-4.
The Orange have been a pleasant surprise for moneyline bettors this season, gaining 4.7 units. They’re 8-4 ATS and have an O/U record of 7-5.
The Mountaineers have gone 8-3 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Orange are 9-3 SU.
The Mountaineers lost to Oklahoma 59-56 in a game where the defense allowed the Sooners to pass for 364 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 304 yards and three scores. Marquise Brown was on a different level for the Sooners in that one with 243 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. On the offensive side, Will Grier completed 32-of-49 passes for 539 yards and four touchdowns. Kennedy McKoy (81 yards on 16 rushes, one TD) and Martell Pettaway (76 yards on 15 carries, two TDs) spearheaded the ground attack while David Sills V (eight receptions, 131 yards, two TDs) and Gary Jennings Jr. (seven catches, 225 yards, two TDs) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Syracuse just got a 42-21 win over Boston College. The defensive unit let the Eagles run for 105 yards on 32 rush attempts. Jeff Smith had a productive outing in the loss, recording 69 yards on one catch for Boston College. For Syracuse, Eric Dungey completed 21-of-34 passes for 362 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Dontae Strickland (129 rushing yards on 20 attempts) and the signal-caller Dungey (34 yards on 18 carries, three TDs) led the running game as Sean Riley (five receptions, 115 yards, one TD) and Nykeim Johnson (four catches, 29 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
West Virginia’s run the ball on 48.9 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Syracuse has an overall rush percentage of 56.4 percent. The Mountaineers have produced 162.3 rush yards/game and have 21 scores on the ground this year. The Orange are averaging 206.4 rushing yards per game and have 35 total rush TDs.
It seems like the Mountaineers may own an advantage when it comes to RB effectiveness, since their backfield has generated 4.6 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 4.1 to opponents. The Orange have rushed for 4.4 yards per carry and given up 4.3 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Mountaineers offense has averaged a superb 358.1 yards in the air overall and has 38 passing scores so far. The Orange have recorded 261.5 pass yards per game and have 21 total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, West Virginia has allowed 150.8 rush yards and 254.6 pass yards per game. The Syracuse D has allowed 263.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 163.8 yards per game to opposing runners. The Orange are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.51 to opposing QBs, while the Mountaineers have allowed a 6.51 ANY/A.
Grier likely has the advantage over Dungey in this matchup, as his adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 9.94for the season and 9.74 over his last two outings. Dungey’s ANY/A is 6.98 for the season and 8.03 over his past two games.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Syracuse Orange Betting Pick
SU Winner: West Virginia, ATS Winner: West Virginia, O/U: Under
Team Betting Notes
- The Syracuse defense has registered 38 sacks on the year while West Virginia has just 23.
- Syracuse has lost six fumbles in 2018 while West Virginia has let seven get away.
- The Mountaineers offense has tallied 17 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Orange have put up 12 such plays.
- The West Virginia defense has allowed seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Syracuse has given up 14 such plays.
- The West Virginia offense has created 15 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Syracuse has created 17 such runs.
- The Mountaineers defense has allowed 15 rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Orange have given up 22 such runs.
- Syracuse has won six of its last seven games SU, with a -33-point defeat to Notre Dame on November 17th representing the one loss over that stretch.
- As a team, West Virginia has produced 4.2 yards per carry over its past three games and 4.2 over its last two.
- Syracuse has averaged 4.3 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.3 over its past two.
