Notre Dame vs. Syracuse Prediction
Unranked Notre Dame heads to upstate New York to face #16 Syracuse at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday. Can the Fighting Irish cover the spread as 2.5-point road underdogs?
Notre Dame is 4-3 on the year, with their best wins coming against North Carolina and BYU. Their worst losses were to Marshall and Stanford. The Fighting Irish are 3-4 ATS on the season.
Syracuse is 6-1 on the year with their best wins coming against Purdue and North Carolina State. Their only loss came last week at Clemson. The Orange are 6-1 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
139 Notre Dame +2.5 at 140 Syracuse Orange -2.5; O/U 48
12:00 PM ET Saturday, October 29th, 2022
JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY
Notre Dame vs. Syracuse Public Betting Information
The public is favoring the Orange in this game. Our CFB Public Betting Page shows that 60% of public bets are on Syracuse -2.5. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Notre Dame Game Notes
Notre Dame’s best offensive player is tight end Michael Mayer. The junior from Independence, Kentucky leads the Fighting Irish in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He had a big day in Notre Dame’s last contest against UNLV, hauling in 6 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in a 44-21 Irish win. He’ll need to show out if Notre Dame wants to cover this game.
Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey also made his presence known against the Rebels last weekend, racking up 3 sacks and blocking 2 punts. Foskey has 6 sacks on the season which is tied for the lead among FBS independent school players in 2022. He will likely have to get pressure on Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader for Notre Dame to pull off the upset.
Syracuse Game Notes
Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader struggled against a stout Clemson defense last weekend, throwing for only 161 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, and 1 interception. He did run for 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground, however, marking the fourth time this year he’s run for 70 or more yards. Shrader and star running back Sean Tucker should get a heavy workload against a Notre Dame defense that allows 4.0 yards per rushing attempt, which ranks 52nd in the nation.
Syracuse defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu could be primed to make his presence felt on Saturday. The junior from Washington D.C. leads the Orange in sacks with 3.5 and even recorded a pick-six in Syracuse’s 32-29 win over Purdue in Week 3. Okechukwu and linebacker Mikel Jones could play a big role in stifling a Notre Dame offense that ranks 66th in the country in yards per play.
Notre Dame vs. Syracuse Betting Trends
Syracuse is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games.
Syracuse is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win.
Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on field turf.
Notre Dame is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games on field turf.
Notre Dame vs. Syracuse Betting Prediction
Notre Dame has been inconsistent this year, as they’ve lost home games to Marshall and Stanford. They only beat a middling Cal team by a touchdown at home as well. Syracuse on the other hand has an average scoring margin of +12 which is tied for 16th in the country. On top of that, Syracuse’s defense ranks in the top 18 nationally in opponent points per game (17.7), opponent points per play (0.256), and opponent offensive touchdowns per game (2.2). I think Syracuse should give Notre Dame problems on both sides of the ball. I think the Orange win a slugfest at home by a field goal or more.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 PREDICTION: SYRACUSE ORANGE -2.5
