Syracuse Orange vs Washington State Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 12/27/2024

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Friday, December 27, 2024

Venue:  Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA

Where to Watch:  FOX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Syracuse -16, WSU +16; Over/Under:  59.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Syracuse -16, WSU +16; Over/Under:  59.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Syracuse -16.5, WSU +16.5; Over/Under:  59.5 points

Syracuse Orange:  9-3 (5-3) (4th place, ACC)

Washington State Cougars:  8-4 (0-1) (2nd place, Pac-12)

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Syracuse Orange:  won their last game at home against the Miami-Florida Hurricanes 42-38.

Washington State Cougars:  lost their last game at home against the Wyoming Cowboys 15-14.

Syracuse is entering this game with a 9-3 record overall and they have a 5-3 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 3-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Miami-FL 42-38. Kyle McCord was the starting QB and he completed 26/36 passes for 380 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. LeQuint Allen led the team in rushing yards with 82 and 2 TDs. Trebor Pena led the receivers with 128 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 1 TD. Marlowe Wax led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Fadil Diggs led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.

 

 

 

Washington State is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 2-3 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Wyoming 15-14. John Mateer was the starting QB and he completed 16/22 passes for 182 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. John Mateer led the team in rushing yards with 56 and 1 TD. Kris Hutson led the receivers with 62 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Taariq Al-Uqdah led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Khalil Laufau led the defense in sacks with 2. Jamorri Colson came away with the only interception for them in that one.

The current betting odds have Syracuse listed as a 16 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Syracuse has looked really good in their games this season with their 9-3 record overall and their 5-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the ACC. They weren't really a threat to go to the ACC Championship this year, but they put together a solid season with 9 wins, and now they have a chance to finish strong with a 10th win here. Meanwhile, Washington State looked good in their games this season with their 8-4 record overall, but they had to play a much weaker schedule this season due to the situation of the Pac-12. They were the better team in their conference all season, but they still lost their only conference game to Oregon State who wasn't great. Now Washington State has lost their head coach to another job and they are missing a ton of players in this game who are in the transfer portal. Syracuse has a chance to finish the season with 10 wins and they are still going to be riding high after pulling off a huge upset win over Miami-FL in their season finale, a win that kept Miami-FL out of the ACC Championship and the playoffs. Syracuse also has the better QB who has been playing all season with a chip on his shoulder, and this is an offense that can put a ton of points up too. Washington State finished the season with a home loss to a terrible Wyoming team and their defense has been giving up a ton of points all season, even when they had their starters. The best way to place a bet here is on Syracuse to cover the spread in this game. 

Syracuse Washington State Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, December 27, 2024 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Syracuse 45 Wazzu 17.

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Syracuse Orange: 9-5 ATS off a home win. 7-1 ATS after scoring 37 points or more last game. 8-5 ATS in non-conference games. 9-4 UNDER off a home win. 5-0 UNDER after a win by 6 or less points. 7-1 UNDER after a 2 game home stand. 

Washington State Cougars: 1-4 ATS in games played on a grass field. 1-4 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 5-9 1H ATS after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses. 11-6 UNDER vs. good passing teams averaging 250 or more passing yards/game. 6-2 UNDER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 5-0 1H UNDER after a bye week.

Syracuse Orange:  U. Hatcher (WR) Questionable - Ankle. J. Reed (OL) Questionable - Upper Body. C. Del Rio-Wilson (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Barnes (DB) Out - Undisclosed. M. James (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. Z. Haynes (WR) Questionable - Personal. W. Nixon (RB) Out - Foot.

Washington State Cougars:  T. Shackelford (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Dollar (TE) Out - Undisclosed. D. Paine (RB) Out - Knee.

"We gave them 21 points. There were a lot of self-inflicted wounds. I think we were just tested again, about how tough we were and our will. I think the 21-0 (deficit) showed we won’t quit and that we’ll continue to push.” - Fran Brown after his team’s win against Miami-FL in their regular season finale. 

“It’s the culmination of all the work that they put in and all the time and the sacrifices they have made. To have them enjoy this experience, and from everything they’ve been through, they’ve been through a lot. There has been and to make sure that they have the best experience of a lifetime, and that’s just not going and enjoying the Holiday Bowl, that’s preparing and playing in a great game—a great game against a great opponent.” - Pete Kaligis on his team playing in the Holiday Bowl. 

WR Meeks, Jackson

WR Hatcher, Umari 

WR Pena, Trebor

TE Gadsden II, Oronde

QB McCord, Kyle 

RB Allen, LeQuint 

WR Williams, Kyle 

WR Shackelford, Tre 

WR Meredith, Josh

WR Freeman, Tony 

TE Mathers, Cooper

QB Mateer, John

RB Schlenbaker, Djouvensky 

Passing: K. McCord (4326)

Rushing: L. Allen (901)

Receiving: J. Meeks (911)

Touchdowns: L. Allen (17)

Passing: J. Mateer (3139)

Rushing: J. Mateer (826)

Receiving: K. Williams (1026)

Touchdowns: J. Mateer (15)

Coaches:

Syracuse Orange: Fran Brown (1st season)

Washington State Cougars: Pete Kaligis (Interim)