The Syracuse Orangemen will try to defend their home turf against the Pittsburgh Panthers in an ACC showdown Saturday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. The game is slated to start on Saturday, October 7th at 12:30 p.m. EST. The conference match-up can also be seen on CHSS for your viewing pleasure. Odds gurus have the Orangemen as a slight -3.5 point favorite and the total sits at 64.5 points.
The Pittsburgh Panthers put together a convincing 42-10 home triumph over the Rice Owls in their latest action. In that game, the Steel City Cats jumped out to a 28 point lead at halftime and never looked back. It was a total team victory as Pittsburgh racked up almost 500 yards of offense while holding the Owls to only 277.
The Syracuse Orangemen went down in another hard-fought battle to the N.C. state wolfpack last weekend. Although their efforts aren’t translating into victories, the Orangemen appear to be turning the corner in 2017. Now, they come home and will play Pittsburgh in a winnable contest where they are over a field goal favorite.
Pittsburgh Panthers (2-3)
After three straight losses to some of the best teams in the country, the Pittsburgh Panthers rebounded quite nicely. Back home from Georgia, the Panthers finally got their offense heated up and proved they can put points on the board against Rice.
Leading the charge for the Panthers offense was quarterback Max Browne. There is little doubt that this was his best performance of his career. All totaled, he completed 28 of his 32 passes for over 400 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Overall, he has compiled 836 yards with five scores and two picks. He will need another good performance this weekend because the Orangemen will score at home.
The Panthers pretty much decided that they were going to throw their way to victory against the Owls last weekend. Seven different running backs touched the ball multiple times but their numbers did add up to even 100 yards. Tailback Chawntez Moss did find his way into the end zone but only had 22 yards on the ground.
Like the Pittsburgh running backs, a lot of different receivers got into the mix last Saturday. In fact, quarterback Max Browne spread the ball around quite nicely. Four wideouts and three running backs all contributed to Browne’s big day. Big-time pass catcher Jester Weah had himself a day, recording five catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.
The Pittsburgh defense had no problem shutting down the Rice offense. Overall, they allowed only 277 total yards which included 55 rushing yards. Their defense struggled in their first four contests, so this could be a confidence booster for them. In 2017, the Panthers rank 107th against the pass, giving up 263 yards per game. The Front seven also has struggled, allowing 177 yards on the ground (88th).
Syracuse Orangemen (2-3)
The Syracuse Orangemen’s comeback bid fell short as they couldn’t recover from a large early deficit in their 33-25 road loss to N.C. State. Furthermore, the game was their ACC opener and they now sit one game under the .500 mark.
Against a solid defense, quarterback Eric Dungy certainly didn’t disappoint his fans. The son of former NFL coach Tony Dungy threw for 385 yards with one score and one pick. More importantly, he kept Syracuse balanced by running for team-highs in yardage (44), attempts (16), and touchdowns (2). He is set to have himself a big game against a Panther defense that has struggled to stop the run and the pass.
Only three other Syracuse running backs touched the ball against the Wolfpack last weekend. They couldn’t even eclipse the 20-yard mark on 14 carries. That could be a huge problem if they can’t find some production to ease the physical punishment that Eric Dungy is taking.
Wide receiver Ervin Phillips had one of the best days for a wideout in college football in 2017. The talented pass catcher reeled in a mind-boggling 17 balls for 188 yards. Amazingly, he was unable to reach the back of the end zone against the Wolfpack. He now has 44 catches for over 440 yards and two scores.
Teammate Steve Ishmael also showed up for the Orangemen. The shifty baller caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Now, Ishmael has 55 catches for 632 yards and two touchdowns. Quietly, these two are becoming one of the best wide receiver duos in Division I ball.
The Syracuse defense allowed 462 total yards and didn’t have an answer against the run last week, conceding 256 rushing yards. They also did not make the big stops as the Wolfpack went 2 for 2 on fourth down attempts. Normally, the Orangemen have been better than average against the run and the pass. This season, the secondary ranks 63rd in the nation and the front seven sits 49th against the run (132 yards).
Prediction
Here we go again with another risky Syracuse over/under. Line setters have this contest’s set at 64.5, tempting over bettors to come along for the high-scoring ride. In most circumstances, I think that the Orangemen’s’ totals have been inflated and are too risky to play. Well, I think that that is not the case against the Panthers.
Both of these clubs are coming off of decent performances and both like to toss the ball around the field. I do think that Syracuse will have a little easier of a time stopping the Panthers rushing attack but Pittsburgh shouldn’t struggle against theirs either.
Now that we’ve established that this game will be won in the passing game, I expect a lot of clock stoppages and first downs to extend this game. Plus, both teams boast receivers that can make plays from anywhere on the field. Because of that, I’m suggesting that you lay your hard-earned money on the over 64.5 in this one.
The oddsmakers also have the Orangemen as a -3.5 point favorite. The half point is enough to scare me away from betting Syracuse to cover. The Panthers have definitely played some tough opponents this year. Instead, just play the over and watch the two schools’ receivers go tit for tat for all four quarters. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
Trends
The Panthers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five road games.
The Panthers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
The is 8-1 in the Panthers last nine conference games.
The Orangemen are 1-5 ATS in their last five home games.
The Orangemen are 2-5 ATS versus a team with a losing record.
The Under is 10-2 in the Orangemen last 12 games overall.
The underdog is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
