LOUISVILLE vs SYRACUSE
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, November 9, 2018
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -20.5
PREDICTION: SYRACUSE , LOUISVILLE

Oddsmakers currently have the SYRACUSE listed as -20.5 point favorites versus the LOUISVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 68.5.

In the midst of a three-game winning streak and a climb up the rankings, No. 13 Syracuse hosts slumping Louisville in an ACC matchup on Friday. The Orange are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013, ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings, and have a chance, with a win against the Cardinals, to go undefeated at home for the first time since 2001.

The key for the Orange has been a dynamic offense featuring senior quarterback Eric Dungey (13 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs). He was quiet last week in a 41-24 triumph over Wake Forest, but the team racked up five rushing scores – one by Dungey – in scoring 40-plus points for the third straight game. In all, Syracuse is averaging 43.3 points to rank eighth nationally, while the Louisville defense comes in at 125th nationally in defense (40.8 points allowed per game). The Cardinals were smashed by Clemson last week, 77-16, as the team gave up 661 total yards, including 492 on the ground.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Syracuse -21

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (2-7, 0-6 ACC): This current six-game skid is the longest losing streak for Louisville since the team dropped 10 in a row spanning the 1997 and 1998 seasons. “I’m not too happy with the way we played, particularly on defense,” coach Bobby Petrino said, “but you have to take your hat off to Clemson.” The veteran coach hopes his team bounces back behind Jawon Pass, who has completed more than 58 percent of his passes only once all season and has thrown at least one interception in seven of the nine games.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (7-2, 4-2): This is a big game for the Orange, who cannot afford a loss if they hope to reach a major bowl game, especially with meetings with Notre Dame (netural site) and Boston College (road) still remaining on their schedule. While Dungey has been solid, fellow senior Jamal Custis leads the team in receiving yards (734) and receiving scores (five). “Can’t say enough about what (the seniors have) done to change this culture … and give us an opportunity to do greater things in the future,” coach Dino Babers said. “Whatever happens, they’re going to be known as the class that got this thing turned around and headed in the right direction.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Louisville has taken four straight meetings, including a 56-10 thumping of the Orange last season.

2. Syracuse has won 13 of its last 16 weekday games.

3. The Orange are a plus-12 in turnover margin, the best mark in the ACC.

PREDICTION: Syracuse 55, Louisville 19

The post LOUISVILLE vs. SYRACUSE 11/9/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

NORTH CAROLINA vs SYRACUSE
When: 12:20 PM ET, Saturday, October 20, 2018
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

TV: 12:20 PM
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: SYRACUSE , N CAROLINA

Oddsmakers currently have the SYRACUSE listed as -10 point favorites versus the N CAROLINA, while the game’s total is sitting at 67.5.

Syracuse’s breakthrough season has hit a sudden snag. The Orange look to snap a two-game losing streak Saturday when they host North Carolina in ACC action.

The Orange opened the campaign 4-0 before a crushing loss at Clemson preceded an overtime setback against Pittsburgh. The team now plays four of its next five at home, beginning with Saturday’s contest against a North Carolina squad that has reached 20 points only once this season. The Tar Heels absorbed a painful loss against Virginia Tech in their last contest, melting down in the fourth quarter en route to a 22-19 defeat. This is the first meeting between the teams since 2003 even though they have been ACC foes for the last five years.

TV: 12:20 p.m. ET, Raycom Sports. LINE: Syracuse -9.5

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (1-4, 1-2 ACC): The Tar Heels’ Michael Carter fumbled near the end zone with a chance to possibly ice the game, and the Hokies took the ensuing turnover 98 yards in 18 plays before scoring the game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds to go. “Give them the credit, they made the plays when they had to and they got it done,” North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said, adding: “We just didn’t make enough plays to win the football game. And we had a lot of opportunities.” Quarterback Cade Fortin (knee) is unlikely to play this weekend – and may be out long-term – which could put Nathan Elliott back under center.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (4-2, 1-2): Eric Dungey completed under 48 percent of his passes for the third time this season versus Pitt and failed to reach 200 passing yards, although he did add his sixth rushing TD in the last three games. “It hurts,” Dungey said. “I hate losing. It hurts. … I’ve been saying all week Pitt’s a dangerous team. We weren’t on the same page, the receivers and I on some plays, but we’ll get it fixed.” Since holding Florida State to seven points, Syracuse has allowed an average of 30.6 points in its last three outings.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Since back-to-back terrific games against East Carolina and Pitt, North Carolina RB Antonio Williams has totaled 51 rushing yards and no touchdowns in the last two games.

2. Syracuse LB Kielan Whitner has been the team’s leading tackler in each of the last four weeks.

3. Orange freshman K Andre Szmyt leads the nation in kicking points (78).

PREDICTION: Syracuse 33, North Carolina 21

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SYRACUSE vs W MICHIGAN
When: 6:00 PM ET, Friday, August 31, 2018
Where: Waldo Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan

TV: 6:00 PM
LINE: 6
PREDICTION: W MICHIGAN , SYRACUSE

Oddsmakers currently have the W MICHIGAN listed as 6 point favorites versus the SYRACUSE, while the game’s total is sitting at 64.5.

Take Syracuse (#143)

Dino Babers has suffered through two dismal, injury riddled seasons in his first two years at the Syracuse head coach.  Here in Year 3, we can expect Babers to have the Orange primed to succeed on the road against a MAC foe in Week 1.

Babers quote speaks volumes about what he expects for the Orange this season, off back-2-back 4-8 campaigns: “This is the first time I’ve ever had a year three anywhere so this is new ground for me as well. But I think just having a better understanding of what’s going on in the conference, having a better understanding of the 107 guys in the room and knowing what they’re hot buttons are, knowing how to push them, knowing which ones to push and which ones not to push and just having a lot more comradery with the family. I think that everybody’s headed in the right direction. I think there’s more of our type of guys in the room than before and I think it’s going to pay off for us in the long run.”

Orange QB Erik Dungey has battled injuries in each of his first two years on the job, but the third year starter—now a senior —  is healthy for camp.  And with a healthy Dungey, the Broncos defense is in for a world of hurt. Western Michigan has major issues on their defensive line after losing both defensive tackles in the offseason.  Broncos head coach Tim Lester, talking about his issues on the DL heading into camp:  “We need to find players who can play. We have a bunch of guys, and they know it. They know that position is as open as open can get.”  Given the extreme Syracuse pace, a weak opposing DL is a defensive disaster waiting to happen for a team like the Broncos.

PJ Fleck is now two years removed from the Western Michigan job, and his replacement, Tim Lester, presided over a significant Broncos decline last year.  It’s hard for this bettor to expect the Broncos to be able to trade points with the Orange for 60 minutes here, making the reasonable pointspread to get involved on the Syracuse side in a game they should win by a TD or more.  Take Syracuse.

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Syracuse Orange vs Louisville Cardinals
When: 2:00 PM  ET, Sunday, February 26, 2017
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky

TV: 2 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: Louisville 75, Syracuse 69

Oddsmakers currently have the LOUISVILLE listed as -10 point favorites versus the SYRACUSE, while the game’s total is sitting at 143.5.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and his former pupil, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, each invoked images of powers beyond this world when the Cardinals came away with an overtime win at the Carrier Dome less than two weeks ago. The two Hall-of-Fame coaches match wits for the second time in 13 days Sunday when No. 6 Louisville attempts to keep its faint hopes of claiming a share of the ACC regular-season title alive versus the Orange.

Boeheim praised his team’s determination following Syracuse’s 76-72 loss to Louisville on Feb. 13, telling reporters the Orange gave “a Herculean effort” by first overcoming an early 14-point deficit and later nearly forcing a second extra period after falling behind by eight with 39 seconds left in overtime. Pitino countered by saying Ryan McMahon “put on a Superman outfit and won the game for us” as his freshman sharpshooter scored all seven of his points after regulation, including a pair of late free throws to seal it. The Cardinals, who are one of three teams trailing league-leading North Carolina by 2 1/2 games, missed out on their chance to put some serious heat on the Tar Heels on Wednesday as they fell 74-63 in Chapel Hill. Syracuse continued its delicate balancing act on the NCAA Tournament bubble on Wednesday, getting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from John Gillon to stun No. 11 Duke and end a three-game skid.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (17-12, 9-7 ACC): Gillon (11.1 points, 5.4 assists) made up for a seven-point offensive effort in last Sunday’s loss at Georgia Tech by scoring 19 of his game-high 26 in the second half Wednesday, boosting the graduate transfer’s scoring average over his last eight outings to 18.4. Sophomore forward Tyler Lydon (13.5 points, 8.1 rebounds) has played every minute of the last 10 games, while Andrew White III (team-high 17.5 points) has done the same over the last nine contests, although the latter is coming off his first single-digit scoring effort in 17 games. Freshman guard Tyus Battle (10.1 points) is averaging 14.5 points on 10-of-19 from the field over his last two outings after totaling 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting over his previous three games.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (22-6, 10-5): The Cardinals (44.3 percent) outshot the Tar Heels (37.1), but they gave themselves little chance in most of the other important facets of the game, losing the rebounding battle 46-33 while shooting 5-for-20 beyond the arc and 4-of-13 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Donovan Mitchell (team-high 15.8 points) has bettered his current scoring mark in each of his last eight outings after tallying 21 against North Carolina and is averaging 19.5 points over his last 15 contests. Second-leading scorer Quentin Snider (12.4) is scoring 13.8 points per game over his last four outings after missing the previous six with a hip injury, while backup point guard Tony Hicks (hand) returned to action Wednesday with two points in four minutes following his own six-game absence.

TIP-INS
1. Louisville leads the all-time series 17-8, winning four of the last five meetings.
2. Gillon has made a school-record 43 consecutive free throws.
3. Despite scoring 22 points in the first meeting, White finished 7-of-24 from the field and 2-of-14 beyond the arc.

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Syracuse vs Marquette
When: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 30, 2013
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS.
PREDICTION: Syracuse 70, Marquette 65

Oddsmakers currently have the Orange listed as 3-point favorites versus the Golden Eagles, while the game’s total is sitting at 126.

The conference that is disintegrating due to the realignment chaos is assured of having a team in the Final Four. Big East mates Syracuse and Marquette square off Saturday in Washington D.C. in the East Regional final, marking the first time since 2009 that teams from the same conference will compete for a Final Four berth. The fourth-seeded Orange dominated top-seeded Indiana on Thursday while third-seeded Marquette thrashed second-seeded Miami.

Sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams had a spectacular game against Indiana with a career-best 24 points to go with six rebounds and four steals. “This was the best he’s played all year,” Boeheim said. “He was tremendous. He was the difference in the game on offense, clearly.” Williams ranks fourth on the Orange at 12.1 points per game while averaging a team-best 7.5 assists. He has 104 steals, one of three players nationally with 100 or more. Junior forward C.J. Fair averages a team-high 14.4 points and also grabs a team-leading seven rebounds per game, while senior guard Brandon Triche (13.8) and senior forward James Southerland (13.4) also score in double digits.

Syracuse won its last outing, a 61-50 result against Indiana on March 28. They covered in that game as a 5-point underdog.

Team record: 29-9 SU, 18-15-1 ATS

The Golden Eagles are led by Blue, but feature a wealth of contributors who are capable of stepping up at any time. Junior forward Jamil Wilson had 16 points and eight rebounds against Miami, while Blue and junior reserve forward Davante Gardner contributed 14 points apiece. In fact, Gardner’s 11.4 average is second on the squad behind Blue’s 14.8. Wilson averages 9.9 points, senior guard Junior Cadougan averages 8.6 and senior wing Trent Lockett contributes 7.2 points and a team-best 5.1 rebounds. A blue-collar mentality sometimes leads to Marquette being overshadowed by more talented teams. “We want to keep being the hunters,” Blue said. “We don’t want to be the hunted.”

Last time out for Marquette, they were a 71-61 winner as they battled Miami on the road. They covered in the match as a 5.5-point underdog.

Team record: 26-8 SU, 15-15 ATS

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The clubs announced the swap of minor league forwards Monday.

Wilson has played in 39 NHL games and has five points in 22 AHL games this season with Syracuse. The Lightning acquired the two-time Calder Cup champion from Nashville last summer.

Sexton has 16 points in 27 games with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate in Norfolk this season. He signed with Anaheim in 2009 and has played in 88 NHL games.

The post Ducks, Lightning swap forwards appeared first on IdealCapper.

The 15-1 Cardinals took advantage of losses by Duke and Michigan to move up two spots to No. 1 on Monday in The Associated Press’ Top 25 poll. This is just the second time in school history they’re on top. The other time was the final poll of 2008-09, a season in which they reached the final eight of the NCAA tournament.

Hours later, Louisville used a strong second half to beat Connecticut 73-60 on Monday night to move to 16-1.

Louisville was one of five teams to receive a first-place vote this week, and that backs Pitino’s point.

“I think the top teams will play musical chairs for No. 1 for the next two months and it will be really significant at the end of the year,” Pitino said before the Monday’s game. “We played a tough nonconference schedule and I’m really happy the way our guys have battled through injuries. We’ll try to hold the musical top as long as we can.”

The Cardinals, who have won 11 straight since losing to Duke in the final of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, received 36 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. That’s 23 more than Indiana, which moved up from fifth.

Indiana was No. 1 in the preseason poll and for the first five weeks of the regular season. Duke, which was No. 1 for the past four weeks, was third with 14 No. 1 votes. The Blue Devils were followed by Kansas and Michigan, which drew one first-place vote each.

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Four teams entered the week unbeaten — Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Wyoming — and each suffered its first loss.

It was the first time three of the top four teams lost in the same week since November 2003, when the top four teams — Connecticut, Duke, Michigan State and Arizona — all were defeated.

Syracuse, Arizona, Gonzaga, Minnesota and Florida rounded out this week’s top 10.

There were four newcomers to the poll this week: No. 21 Oregon, No. 22 Virginia Commonwealth, No. 24 UCLA and No. 25 Marquette.

It is VCU’s first ranking since the 1984-85 season. Oregon is back in for the first time since 2007-08. Marquette was ranked last season, and UCLA, which was No. 13 in the preseason poll, is back after being out for the past seven weeks.

They replaced Georgetown, Cincinnati, Wichita State and UNLV, who all lost once last week.

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