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Both Syracuse and NC State had a bye last week. They will come out of their week off to play a Thursday night matchup.
Syracuse dominated Holy Cross 41-3 in their previous game. They have won their last two games in a row after suffering a loss to Clemson. NC State needed a week off after a trip to Florida State. The Wolfpack were taken down 31-13.
Syracuse vs. NC State Preview
Syracuse hit a rough patch after being ranked early in the season. The Orange allowed 63 points in a loss to Maryland before losing to the No. 1 team in the nation. They have rebounded with two straight wins and will look to pick up a big win on the road.
Tommy DeVito has been inconsistent all season. He has thrown for 1,234 yards and 11 touchdowns. Turnovers have plagued the quarterback who has five interceptions in five games this season. There has been talk of the Orange making a chance at quarterback but that will not happen this week. As a team, Syracuse is averaging 3.4 yards per rush. They have not gotten the run game going which is a reason they are averaging just 28.6 points per game.
“I think was just a matter of trying to get both of those young men on the field. That’s something that we can come back to it anytime. It doesn’t disappear, it stays with us,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said on using two running backs. ” I think that’s really the key is that getting these rolling as fast as the slowest guy that we have on offense and getting them up to speed is something that we’ve been really working hard on.”
NC State is a disappointing 3-2 on the season. They have three wins over lesser opponents but have dropped two games to big name opponents who have been down recently. The Wolfpack’s two losses are to Florida State and West Virginia. NC State has three running backs who have ran for 200 yards this season but Jordan Houston has done it with less carries. Matthew McKay has handled most of the quarterback play but has thrown just three touchdowns.
Head coach Dave Doeren announced that Bailey Hockman will start at quarterback against Syracuse.
“Matt McKay is doing a really good job in a lot of areas and needs to improve on his pass game. He will. I’m really impressed with how Matt came to practice the last two days. He’ll get better,” Doeren said. “I feel like Bailey came in the Florida State game and showed a lot of poise and guts. He came into that game and competed.”
Syracuse vs. NC State Pick & Prediction
Neither of these teams have been impressive. They have beaten the teams that they are supposed to but have had trouble against bigger opponents. This makes for a good matchup because these teams are evenly matched.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the home team as 4.5-point favorites. Both teams are coming off a bye so there is no advantage for either side with their opponent playing on a short week. This game will all come down to how DeVito handles himself on the road.
The o/u is set at 54. This game seems like a dead under because neither team is a powerhouse on offense. The Orange were supposed to be better offensively than they currently are. Off a bye, both teams should come out with plenty of energy.
PICK: NC State -4.5
OVER: 54
SCORE PREDICTION: NC State 34, Syracuse 28
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Syracuse vs. NC State Prediction: Betting Line, Odds & Pick