The Syracuse Orange are 4-0 for the first time since 1991 and will face their stiffest challenge to date in the form of No. 3 Clemson in South Carolina on Saturday. Syracuse upset its ACC rival at home last year and is looking for a repeat. Although 4-0, the Tigers are just 1-3 ATS in 2018. Clemson opened as 20-point favorites but, as of Thursday, the line has moved to 25.5.
- Clemson will start true freshman QB Trevor Lawrence over Kelly Bryant.
- Syracuse is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games on the road.
- Clemson is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
Syracuse vs Clemson Game Center
No MOre Quarterback Controversy at Clemson
Dabo Swinney made headlines Monday morning by placing Trevor Lawrence at the top of the Tigers depth chart ahead of Saturday’s home game vs Syracuse. As if there wasn’t enough pressure to win this game (Syracuse stunned Clemson in 2017), the freshman signal-caller will get his first career start, usurping incumbent Kelly Bryant in the process.
Bryant has decided to leave the team and will be a red-shirt transfer next season but now Dabo Swinney goes from having a great 1-2 punch to praying Lawrence stays healthy. From a winner vs loser perspective, Third-stringer turned backup Chase Brice stands to gain the most from this situation.
Lawrence and Bryant have split the snaps so far this season and have comparable numbers in terms of completion percentage. But it’s when you look at the points getting put on the board that Lawrence stands out. He’s thrown for nine TDs to Bryant’s two, while Lawrence is 45 points better in the QB rating column.
Syracuse Looking for Respect
The Syracuse Orange are trying to prove that last year’s win over Clemson wasn’t a fluke and that they’re a legitimate ACC contender. A win this Saturday would most certainly do that and potentially land them in the Top 25 for Week 6.
Syracuse QB Eric Dungey’s stats cannot be overlooked as he has thrown for 763 yards and ran for 354 more in his first four games this season. His completion rate is 63.7 percent (fourth in the conference), just behind Lawrence’s 65 percent.
The Orange covered the spread in each of their first three games and depending on the book you use, they pushed or missed covering by half a point vs UConn. Their biggest win so far of the season came in a 30-7 victory over Florida State in a game that they entered as 3.5-point underdogs.
Who’s the Pick in This Game?
With the strength of these offenses, oddsmakers have opened the total at 63.5 for Saturday's game. This hasn't deterred early bettors who show the public to be very much betting the OVER at this number. I tend to agree with them, and we'll see how quickly it moves during the week.
I also like Syracuse to cover. 25.5 is a really big line and Clemson has some distractions this week with Kelly Bryant being replaced. Combine that with a strong offense from Syracuse and the recent history between the two teams and I’ve got this being closer than 26 points.
