On Saturday, the Miami Hurricanes (10-1) will travel to Syracuse, New York, to battle the Orange (8-3).
For Miami, the stakes are simple: win and advance to the ACC Championship game for a berth in the College Football Playoff. Miami will be a double-digit favorite on the road, but Syracuse will have other ideas.
The Orange picked up their eighth win last Saturday. However, since 2000, they have won nine games twice (2001 and 2018) and finished 10-3 in both years. With a win over the Hurricanes and in a bowl game, Syracuse can finish 10-3 in head coach Fran Brown's first season.
Miami and Syracuse used to play regularly as members of the Big East. Miami leads the series 16-7 and has won the last six meetings, most recently in 2017, which is also their only meeting as ACC foes.
This matchup features two of the ACC's passing leaders, which may lead to many points on the board. Miami is an 11-point favorite on the spread with a 67-point over/under.
Read on for our Miami vs Syracuse predictions and college football picks.
Miami vs Syracuse Prediction
- Miami vs. Syracuse Pick: Over 67
My Miami vs. Syracuse best bet is on both teams to go over the total, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Miami vs Syracuse Odds
| Miami Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 67 -110 / -110 | -400 |
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 67 -110 / -110 | +320 |
- Miami vs Syracuse Point Spread: Miami -11 (-110) · Syracuse +11 (-110)
- Miami vs Syracuse Total: Over/Under 67
- Miami vs Syracuse Moneyline: Miami -400 · Syracuse +320
Miami vs Syracuse Preview
Miami Hurricanes Betting Preview: Defense Determines Ceiling
Miami leads the FBS in points per game and total offense and ranks third in passing yards per game.
Those are the perks of having a likely Heisman finalist at quarterback.
Ward leads the FBS in QBR. He's thrown 34 touchdown passes in addition to 3,774 passing yards, which ranks second in the FBS.
Miami also ranks in the top 10 nationally in Passing Success Rate, Rushing Success Rate, Line Yards, Havoc Allowed, Finishing Drives, and Quality Drives.
However, as good as Miami's offense is, its defense will determine how well it does on Saturday (and beyond).
Statistically, Miami ranks in the top 35 in many categories, including total defense, Passing Success Rate, Rushing Success Rate, Havoc, sacks, interceptions, and third down conversion percentage.
However, Miami also allowed 28 points in five of seven conference games. One area of concern has been tackling, as the Hurricanes rank 87th in PFF's Tackling grades. A few missed tackles have turned into big plays as the Hurricanes also rank 124th in Rushing Explosiveness Allowed.
One player Miami could use a timely performance is defensive end Tyler Baron. The Tennessee transfer is second on the team with 4.5 sacks, but his last sack came in week three against Ball State.
Meanwhile, safety Mishael Powell will be looking to build on a strong performance. The sixth-year senior had three tackles, a sack, two pass breakups, and picked off a pass that he returned 87 yards for a touchdown. Powell earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week for his efforts and leads the team with five interceptions.
Syracuse Orange Betting Preview: Prolific Offense, Porous Defense
The only FBS quarterback with more passing yards than Ward is Kyle McCord, who has 3,946 passing yards on the season. He is coming off a career-high 470 yards against Connecticut.
McCord is completing 65% of his passes with 26 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, which will be something to monitor this week. McCord has three games with multiple interceptions this season, including five against Pitt.
Miami leads the country in second-half scoring, and a few of their explosions in the second half have been sparked by turnovers. Against an aggressive, ball-hawking defense like Miami's, it will be imperative that McCord protects the ball this week.
Junior running back LeQuint Allen has handled the bulk of the workload this season with 819 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. However, Syracuse ranks 85th nationally in Rushing Success Rate and 114th in Line Yards. It will be significantly disadvantaged in both areas against Miami this week.
Allen is also a threat out of the backfield, with 55 receptions and three touchdowns. Syracuse's top three pass catchers (Oronde Gadsen II, Jackson Meeks, and Trebor Pena) all have at least 65 receptions, 700 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. The group has helped Syracuse rank 12th in Passing Success Rate.
As good and prolific as Syracuse's offense has been, it has struggled just as much defensively. It allows over 150 yards on the ground and through the air. Syracuse also is 100th in yards allowed per play and 88th in points allowed per game. It has allowed 35 points or more in four of its last seven games.
Miami vs Syracuse
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Miami and Syracuse match up statistically:
Miami Offense vs. Syracuse Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 1 | 66 | |
| Line Yards | 3 | 74 | |
| Pass Success | 10 | 98 | |
| Havoc | 8 | 48 | |
| Finishing Drives | 4 | 108 | |
| Quality Drives | 1 | 88 | |
Syracuse Offense vs. Miami Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 85 | 28 | |
| Line Yards | 114 | 23 | |
| Pass Success | 12 | 19 | |
| Havoc | 24 | 17 | |
| Finishing Drives | 54 | 58 |  |
| Quality Drives | 24 | 49 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 87 | 115 |
| PFF Coverage | 39 | 102 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 12 | 103 |
| Middle 8 | 30 | 51 |
| Seconds per Play | 27.7 (85) | 25.9 (43) |
| Rush Rate | 46% (114) | 39% (134) |
Miami vs Syracuse Pick & Prediction
The over is 7-3-1 in Miami games this season.
While just 5-5-1 in Syracuse, the over is 3-0-1 in its last four games.
Syracuse's push came against Cal, a familiar opponent with Miami this season. Two of Miami's ACC road games at Cal and Louisville finished with 77 and 97 points, respectively.
Like Syracuse, both Cal and Louisville pass more than run the ball. Syracuse ranks first in Pass Rate, while Miami ranks 20th.
With two potent passers squaring off, playing in the dome provides ideal conditions.
However, Ward and McCord have combined for 34 turnover-worthy plays and 19 interceptions on the year. Unless in the red zone, an interception would benefit the total by providing a short field for a quick score or being returned for a touchdown.
Pick: Over 67
Miami vs Syracuse Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 30 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Miami vs Syracuse will be played at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on ESPN.
