Syracuse Orange vs. Clemson Tigers Betting Odds, Analysis, College Football Pick

Clemson is 3-0 straight up against Syracuse since the latter joined the ACC as part of the changing college football landscape a few seasons ago. But the Orange are 2-1 against the spread during that span, covering twice as large underdogs. Syracuse once again will be the recipient of a bunch of points when it tussles with the Tigers on Saturday.

Point spread: The Tigers opened as 28.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 45.8-20.5 Tigers (College football picks on every game)

Why the Syracuse Orange can cover the spread

The Orange carry a two-game winning streak into this week following their 28-20 upset victory at Boston College last week. Syracuse spotted the Eagles an early field goal but scored the next 14 points and never trailed from there.

The Orange allowed BC to get within 21-20 with 10 minutes to go, then iced the game less than a minute later on Eric Dungey's third touchdown pass of the day, a 68-yard connection with breakout star wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo.

Syracuse outgained Boston College 533-287 as Dungey hit the 400-yard mark passing for the second time this season. So the Orange have now outgained four of their last six opponents.

Two weeks ago, Syracuse pulled one of the bigger point-spread upsets of this season, beating Virginia Tech 31-17 as a 23-point underdog.

Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread

Clemson just passed perhaps its toughest test last week in its quest for a return trip to the College Football Playoff, outlasting Florida State in Tallahassee 37-34. The Tigers pounced out to an early 14-0 lead, fell down 34-29 with just over three minutes to go but answered immediately with a 34-yard Deshaun Watson-to-Jordan Leggett catch-and-dive touchdown and held on from there.

On the evening, Clemson outgained FSU 511-449 and won time of possession by a 33-27 split. So the Tigers have outgained seven of eight opponents this season.

At 5-0 in conference play, Clemson leads second-place Louisville by basically a game and a half in the Atlantic Division, thanks to that victory over the Cardinals a month ago. The Tigers will also probably be favored by double digits for each of their last four games.

Smart pick

Syracuse showed an inkling of maturity last week when it avoided a letdown following its upset of Virginia Tech. Clemson, meanwhile, is coming off an exhausting effort against Florida State. Also, the spread on this game is undoubtedly inflated toward the home team. The Tigers are likely to win this game, but the Orange, plus the points, are the smart choice at sports betting sites.

Betting trends

Syracuse is 3-1 ATS in its last four games against Clemson.

Clemson is 20-0 SU in its last 20 games at home.

Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games against its conference.

All college football betting lines and point-spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.