Syracuse Orange vs Virginia Tech Hokies Odds
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -115 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +125 |
| Virginia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -105 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -150 |
The Virginia Tech Hokies welcome in the Syracuse Orange to Blacksburg, Virginia, for a Thursday night Week 9 ACC matchup.
The Hokies are coming off a win at home over Wake Forest, while the Orange have failed to win a game over the past three weeks.
Syracuse has had a tough stretch against some of the ACC’s best, playing Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State all in the last three weeks. This should be a competitive game against the next tier of ACC teams on a Thursday night in Virginia.
Do the Orange have the ability to tune out Metallica’s "Enter Sandman" and steal a win as a 3-point underdog in Blacksburg? Let’s dive into the Syracuse vs Virginia odds and find a prediction in this college football betting preview for Oct. 26.
Syracuse Orange
Syracuse has been a consistently solid team in the ACC the last few years, and it looks to get back on track after starting 0-3 against three of the best teams the conference has to offer.
Cuse finished at 4-4 in ACC play last season, so I would expect it to bounce back and start winning some games under head coach Dino Babers, who has been with the Orange since 2016.
The Orange have been solid on offense when it comes to scoring points, averaging 28.6 points per game with quarterback Garrett Shrader. The issue arrives when it comes to gaining available yards and staying on schedule. The Orange rank 94th in Success Rate on the ground and 67th through the air.
They have been just about average at everything offensively. While they're more than capable of scoring given some short fields, they will struggle to sustain long drives and put up points.
Defensively, Syracuse has been pretty stout this season. It allows an average of only 22 points per game and ranks 49th in Defensive Success Rate. These defensive stats are headlined by a top-10 Havoc ranking, proving this defense can fly around and create problems for opposing offenses.
The Orange have forced 12 turnovers this season through seven games, keeping the team’s overall turnover differential even. Forcing turnovers is always key and will be again in Blacksburg against a Virginia Tech team that ranks 89th in Havoc Allowed.
The Syracuse defense will need to show up in a big way in order for it to pick up its first conference win of the year, especially if that means making things easier on the offense.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech enters this one coming off a big home win over Wake Forest while sitting at 2-1 in conference play. Overall, the Hokies sit at 3-4 after a rough start to the season, but things are seemingly trending in the right direction for them.
The Hokies seem to always play better at home with a great atmosphere in Blacksburg.
That should help an offense that's been solid this season but hasn't quite been elite. Virginia Tech averages 24 points per game this season, but like Syracuse, it struggles to move the ball effectively, ranking 93rd overall in Offensive Success Rate.
This offense benefits greatly from its average starting field position, as the Hokies rank 59th nationally in that area. They also do a solid job of taking care of the football with only eight turnovers this season through seven games.
They'll need to take care of the ball this week and utilize the passing game effectively against a Cuse team that ranks middle-of-the-pack in Defensive Passing Success Rate.
Virginia Tech’s success all stems from its defense. While the Hokies allow 24 points per game, they rank 28th in Defensive Success Rate.
The discrepancy between points and Success Rate arises from their inability to limit the explosive play. Virginia Tech ranks 103rd in defensive explosiveness, which has plagued it in its losses.
Unfortunately for VT, Syracuse can take advantage of this weakness, as it comes in at 69th in offensive explosiveness. The Hokies will need to come into this game focused and limit the big play to find success.
Syracuse vs Virginia Tech
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Syracuse and Virginia Tech match up statistically:
Syracuse Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 94 | 54 | |
| Line Yards | 62 | 57 | |
| Pass Success | 67 | 23 | |
| Havoc | 80 | 95 | |
| Finishing Drives | 77 | 91 | |
| Quality Drives | 72 | 44 | |
Virginia Tech Offense vs. Syracuse Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 102 | 43 | |
| Line Yards | 117 | 30 | |
| Pass Success | 86 | 55 | |
| Havoc | 89 | 28 | |
| Finishing Drives | 79 | 23 | |
| Quality Drives | 99 | 53 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 9 | 53 |
| PFF Coverage | 24 | 96 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 65 | 36 |
| Middle 8 | 31 | 25 |
| Seconds per Play | 24.6 (26) | 27.5 (81) |
| Rush Rate | 55.5% (48) | 55.5% (51) |
Syracuse vs Virginia Tech
Betting Pick & Prediction
The real story of this game will be which mediocre offense can put up enough points to win the game.
Both of these defenses have proven to be stout, and I think Syracuse will struggle to take advantage of Virginia Tech’s inability to stop the big play, especially on the road.
Give me the under 47 in this one.
