Game Time: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 20th, 2021

Venue: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina

Where to Watch:  ACC Network

Kickoff Time: 4:05 PM ET

 

DraftKings Sportsbook:  Spread: NC State -11.5; Over/Under: 51.5 points

Circa:  Spread: NC State -11; Over/Under:  50.5 points

VegasInsider:  Spread: NC State -11; Over/Under: 50.5 points

 

Syracuse: 2-4 conf, 5-5 overall (ACC)

NC State: 4-2 conf, 7-3 overall (ACC)

North Carolina is ranked #25 in the country.  Syracuse is nearing the end of a mediocre regular season. The FBS won’t care about either of these teams when they go to the computer model to determine the college football playoff (just kidding, they don’t use a computer… they pick the teams based on TV programming and advertising dollars).  North Carolina State won’t work too hard to get the win in this one… but will they cover the point spread of 11-11.5?  

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Syracuse has a 5-5 record, but are 8-2 ATS.  They have logged 4 Overs and 6 Unders.  They are 2-2 in road games.

NC State is 7-3 on the season, but 6-4 ATS.  They have notched 5 Overs and 5 Unders.  They are a perfect 5-0 in home games… which always thrills the fans.  In Oct they lost a close game to Miami 31-30 when NC State was favored by -3.5.  Last week they lost to Wake Forest by 3 points in what was essentially a PK game with a 1 point spread.  The big win this season was the Clemson game September 25th when they were underdogs of +10.5 points and won outright 27-21 in overtime.  Clemson University and head coach Dabo Swinney didn’t know what hit em.

The leader of the Orange offense is QB Garrett Shrader who has passed for 1157 yards and 13 touchdowns and 3 interceptions this season.  He is a sophomore so there is room for growth if the roster grows along with him in next up fashion.  The team as a whole is ranked 75th in the FBS in points with 26.8 per game, 74th in yards with 392.2 per game.  Quarterback aside they are primarily a running team, they are ranked 5th in the nation in rushing yards per game 237.7 and 121st in passing yards per game 154.5.  The heartbeat of the Orange offense would be RB Sean Tucker who has compiled 1,362 yards on the season so far.  He will be leaned on heavily against NC State.

NC State has a real quarterback… who cares if he is a leader… QB Devin Leary has passed for 2,883 yards this season.  The team is 41st in points with 32.2 per, 53rd in yards with 422.1 per.  The Wolfpack is primarily a passing team as they are ranked 19th in pass offense with 291.1 ypg and 97th in rushing offense with 131 ypg.  Facing an underdog running team is actually a challenge for NC State as running teams usually control pace… NC State wants to control the pace.

Syracuse has a sack master on defense as Cody Roscoe has 8 on the season so far.  Defense as a whole is the strength of the Orange.  They are ranked 21st in the FBS giving up only 323.2 ypg and allowing only 28 touchdowns on the season.  Syracuse’s schedule has been a yo-yo of playing good teams and scrubs… some of these defensive stats are inflated, but we have to take the numbers from each football game form the season-opener on.  

NC State is right on the heels of the Orange in defensive ranking.  The Wolfpack is ranked 23rd in the FBS giving up 329.9 ypg and allowing 24 touchdowns… those both look like better numbers to me albeit slightly…. The difference is so slight as there is no difference at all.  These opponents are essentially tied on defense.

Our prediction for Saturday, November 13th, is…  NC State 40 - Syracuse 20

On the other side of the Wake Forest game… the final two games of the season have to be about pride and trying to get a conference championship.  NC State won’t be higher ranked then they are now… but they could slide out of the top 25 with a poor performance.  They will be spurned on to score big and get the spotlight back.

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Syracuse is 8-2 ATS this season.

Syracuse is 6-2 ATS as an underdog this season.

NC State is 4-1 ATS in home games this season.

NC State is 12-6 ATS in home games the last 3 seasons.

Syracuse:  QB Garrett Shrader, RB Sean Tucker, WR Sharod Johnson, WR Anthony Queeley, WR Courtney jackson, LT Mathew Bergeron, LG Kalan Ellis, OC Airon Servais, RG Chris Bleich, RT Dakota Davis, TE Chris Elmore

NC State: QB Devin Leary, RB Zonovan Knight, WR Devin Carter, WR Emeka Emezie, WR Thayer Thomas, LT Ikem Ekwonu, OC Grant Gibson, RG Derrick Eason, RT Bryson Speas

Syracuse;  Dino Babers.  Coach Babers can’t be happy with his team’s record going into an ACC road game as an underdog, but he can be happy with his $2.26 million salary to coach football at a basketball school.

NC State: Dave Doeren.  Coach Doeren has had this job since 2013 and has a 62-49 record.  He also has a nice $3.25 million salary at what is traditionally a basketball school. 

Partly Cloudy.  High of 55*.  Humidity 55% and wind at 6 mph.