In a battle of two schools that prefer to run the football, Head Coach Dino Babers and the Syracuse Orange (+11) are taking on their ACC nemesis Duke Blue Devils (-11) at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. This afternoon game is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 p.m. ET and ACC Network has the TV rights.
Betting Preview: Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils
Syracuse is a significant road underdog in this ACC matchup and is currently getting 11 points. The Orange are also receiving +325 moneyline odds while the Blue Devils are -450. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 55.5 points, and if one squad can find paydirt early on, it will likely create a solid live betting opportunity.
The line opened at -11. The game’s O/U has yet to move after it was initially set at 55.5.
The Orange are 2-6 against the spread (ATS) and are down 3.6 units so far. They’ve been a decent under bet and have posted an O/U mark of 3-5.
The Blue Devils have lost 1.6 units this season. The team is 3-4-2 ATS and owns an O/U record of 6-3.
The Orange are 3-6 straight up (SU), including 0-5 SU against ACC opponents. The Blue Devils are 4-5 SU overall and 2-3 SU in conference play.
The Orange lost to Boston College 58-27 in a blowout where the passing attack was on point, as Tommy DeVito completed 25 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns. DeVito (61 rushing yards on 16 attempts) also led the ground attack and was complemented by Jarveon Howard (33 yards on 10 carries). Trishton Jackson (eight receptions, 148 yards, two TDs) and Sean Riley (five catches, 53 yards) handled the receiving duties in the defeat.
Duke most-recently suffered a brutal 38-7 defeat to Notre Dame. Quentin Harris completed 16-of-28 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Deon Jackson (52 rushing yards on 14 attempts) mounted the running attack while Noah Gray (four receptions, 28 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the loss.
Syracuse has run the ball on 52.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Duke has an overall rush percentage of 56.1 percent. The Orange have produced 124.6 rush yards per game (including 91.6 per game versus Atlantic Coast opponents) and have nine scores on the ground this year. The Blue Devils are totaling 158.2 rush yards per game (157.2 in conference) and have 14 total rushing TDs.
It seems like the Blue Devils may be the more disruptive team in the trenches, as their offensive line has yielded just 13 sacks while their D-line has logged 22 sacks. The Orange offensive line has given up 45 sacks and their defense has got to opposing signal-callerss on just 25 occasions.
The Orange offensive scheme has averaged 252 yards through the air overall (237.8 per game versus conference opposition) and has 17 passing TDs so far. The Blue Devils have put up 186.2 pass yards per contest (175 in the ACC) and have 16 total pass scores.
Defensively, Syracuse has allowed opponents to run for an average of 197.3 yards and pass for 259.3 yards per game. The Duke defense has given up 203.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 161.0 yards per game on the ground. The Blue Devils are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.47 to opposing QBs, while the Orange have given up a 6.44 ANY/A.
DeVito probably has the edge over Harris in this one, as his adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 5.94for the year and 5.88 over his last two outings. Harris’ ANY/A is 5.21 for the year and 3.42 over his last two outings.
These two conference foes did not get a chance to play one another a year ago.
Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils Betting Pick
SU Winner: Syracuse, ATS Winner: Syracuse, O/U: Under
Team Betting Trends
- As a team, Syracuse has averaged 3.2 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.8 over its last two.
- Duke has averaged 3.0 yards per carry over its last three matchups and only 2.9 over its last two.
- Duke has lost 10 fumbles this season while Syracuse has lost seven.
- Duke has lost five of its last six games SU, with an 18-point win over Georgia Tech on October 12th accounting for its lone victory over that span.
- The Orange offense has created 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Blue Devils have accounted for three such plays.
- The Syracuse defense has allowed 11 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Duke has given up four such plays.
- Both defenses have produced nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards. The Syracuse offense has recorded 35 running plays of 10+ yards while Duke has accounted for 27 such plays.
- The Orange defense has allowed 16 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Blue Devils have given up 18 such runs.
- The Syracuse defense has sacked opposing QBs 25 times this season. Duke has recorded 22 sacks.
