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The 20th ranked Syracuse Orange take on the 16th ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in this year’s edition of the Camping World Bowl on Friday 12/28/18 at the World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. This is the first meeting between these teams since 2012 with the Orange winning the most previous three games between these teams.
First Bowl Game As ACC Team
The Syracuse Orange entered this season attempting to win their first Bowl Game since leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013. After going 9-3 this season including 6-2 in ACC Conference play, the Orange are one win away from achieving that goal. Syracuse enters this game riding high on its victory over Boston College in their final regular season game where they scored 42 points and racked up a total of 550 offensive yards.
Quarterback Eric Dungey had looked good all season long as he’s thrown for a total of 2,565 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on the season. The 6-4 senior completed 60.1% of his passes and had a quarterback rating of 135.6. Dungey has also been very good on the ground as he’s rushed for 732 yards with an impressive 15 rushing touchdowns this season.
Syracuse vs West Virginia 12/28/18
Moneyline Odds: Syracuse -125, West Virginia +105
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/25/18
Will Grier Not Playing
The West Virginia Mountaineers weren’t just looking to win their conference this season, they were also eyeing a spot at the college football playoff. But West Virginia’s plans were spoiled after they suffered a 14-30 upset loss against Iowa State. Back to back losses to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in their final two games ended their chances of qualifying for the conference title game. Now they end up playing the Orange in the World Bowl and West Virginia can still finish their season on a high note.
But things won’t get easier for the Mountaineers as quarterback Will Grier will not suit up for this contest in order to focus on this spring’s NFL draft. The Florida Gator transferee has been sensational since coming over in 2016 and this season, Grier has thrown for 3,864 passing yards with 37 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Grier’s decision to sit out this game has turned the Mountaineers from a 6.5 point betting favorite to a 1.5 point spread underdog. While West Virginia is more than Will Grier, they are going to struggle without him running the offense for the first time since 2016.
Who Wins?
Syracuse is 5-1 SU in their last six games played. West Virginia is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games played. Head to head, West Virginia is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games played against Syracuse.
The Mountaineers opened as -6.5 favorites but significantly dropped to +1.5 underdogs when it was learned that Grier won’t play here. So for sure, Allison is a significant downgrade from his predecessor. That said, Syracuse suddenly looks good in this matchup given its punishing pass rush and its formidable offense.
The Orange have won outright all three games this season where they were underdogs between 1 to 5 points. Syracuse certainly has the better team overall and without Grier, the difference gets only bigger. I expect the West Virginia offense to struggle here and given their poor track record in recent bowl games played, I think the Orange wins this one.
We’re picking the Syracuse Orange to beat the West Virginia Mountaineers on 12/28/18.
Other Bets To Make
Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in their last five games played while West Virginia is 2-3-2 ATS in their last seven games played. Head to head, the Orange is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings against the Mountaineers.
Syracuse vs West Virginia 12/28/18
Spread Odds: Syracuse -1.5 (-109), West Virginia +1.5 (-109)
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/25/18
Syracuse is 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games after an SU win. The Orange are 4-0 ATS in their last four games on fieldturf. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers haven’t had any success in bowl games lately as they’ve gone 0-5 ATS in their last five bowl games. The Mountaineers are also 1-6 ATS in their last seven games played at a neutral venue.
Prediction: Syracuse -1.5
The total has gone over in 7 out of the 12 games played by Syracuse this season. The over is 5-2 in the last seven games played by the Orange. The total has gone over in 7 out of the 11 games played by West Virginia this season. The over is 5-0 in the Mountaineers’ last five games played. Head to head, the total has gone under in four out of their last five games played.
Syracuse vs West Virginia 12/28/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 67 -109, Under 67 -109
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/25/18
West Virginia’s defense ranks 61st in the nation, allowing just 27.5 points per game. Without Grier, that defense should hold be able to limit Syracuse. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers’ offense is going to struggle without Grier and I think the combination of both will be the big factor in the total score.
Prediction: Under 67
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