The Syracuse Orangemen play host to the Miami Hurricanes in an ACC showdown from JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon. Miami comes into this one having secured their place in the ACC title game but clinging to the slimmest of margins regarding their at-large chances for the playoff. Syracuse has impressed this season, sitting at 8-3 and winners of two in a row, and would love to pull off one of the year's best upsets. Miami last won in this series in 2017 and with much changed since then, this one could go either way.
Do you know who will win? Keep reading for our prediction for Miami vs Syracuse.
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Miami Back To The Road
Miami is well-positioned in the College Football Playoff race but a loss in this one would place all the pressure on them in the ACC title game to secure the automatic bid. The last time this team went on the road, they lost to Georgia Tech on November 9th, which marks their only loss of the season. Looking beyond that, the previous two road games had them winning by only one possession and it's clear that being on the road has been a challenge for this group. Syracuse is a team that this program knows well from their Big East days and they'll need to come out fast if they want to make it a stress-free Saturday.
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Miami carries injury designations for six players into this one, as the defensive side seems to be most impacted. The secondary sees four players ruled as questionable, with the injury to Jadais Richard potentially being the most notable. The corner already has a forced fumble and interception this season, as his high-impact plays will be missed.
The Hurricanes enter this one with one of the most explosive offenses in the country and will be looking to outwork Syracuse from the start. They are first nationally in yards per game, averaging 541.5 yards, in addition to 7.6 yards per play. The passing attack leads the way, where they rank third nationally in passing yards per game, led by Heisman candidate Cam Ward. The ground game will like their matchup as well but the defense is the part of this team that doesn't get enough love. They rank 14th in total yards and are fifth against the rush. Their ability to dominate the ground game on both sides is likely to set the tone in this one.
Syracuse Eyeing Upset
Syracuse has been a team that isn't getting talked about much but at 8-3, have impressed and sit in the top half of the ACC standings. Taking down Miami will be a new challenge in itself but this group shouldn't be short on confidence after winning back-to-back games. The schedule hasn't been too challenging for this group, with their best win coming against Georgia Tech, with losses to Boston College and Stanford sprinkled in there. At 5-1 at home though, this group should be able to draw confidence from the fact that their homefield advantage has shown through so far. A win here would set the tone for this group going into bowl season, while putting a dent into Miami's season would be icing on the cake.
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Syracuse has an injury report that has been growing in length as the season has progressed, with the offense impacted heading into the weekend. A trio of wide receivers are questionable though all three represent depth pieces. On the defensive side, Marcellus Barnes has been ruled out, as his athleticism might be missed if originally called upon.
Offensively, this is one of the more pass-happy attacks in the country, against a secondary that has struggled at times to get crucial stops in pass plays. Kyle McCord (26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) has been a nice addition to the roster but the offensive line needs to take care of him. If that group can improve, the sky could be the limit for this tea. Even though the passing attack gets the attention, Lequint Allen (819 rushing yards) adds a nice dimension, which should be useful as they eye the upset. Regardless of how the offense performs, eyes will be on how the defense holds up against one of the country's elite offenses.
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Best Bets for Miami - FL vs. Syracuse
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Miami has struggled on the road to put away with opponents, with their last handful of road games coming down to the wire. Syracuse is more than capable of moving the ball and have the blueprint from Georgia Tech as to how best navigate finding success against the Hurricanes. Miami will grab the win considering their struggles in covering the spread, as well as Syracuse flying under the radar at 8-3, this one is set up perfect for Syracuse to keep it close.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Miami has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation and it’s clear that they are built to love the ball. For Syracuse, an experienced quarterback has led to one of the most explosive offenses in the country too, especially through the air. Miami has a knack for high scoring games, especially on the road, which makes this one interesting when gauging if the over will hit. Expect both teams to take shots deep and hit on those, as points will be flying up on the scoreboard.
