Holiday Bowl Preview: Syracuse Orange vs. Washington State Cougars
The 21st-ranked Syracuse Orange (9-3) and Washington State Cougars (8-4) will battle in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl on Friday, December 27 at 8:00 PM ET. The action can be seen at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, where the Orange are heavy favorites with a point spread at -16.0 (-110).
Syracuse Orange Betting Preview
The Orange have been successful in their last three games, scoring at least 31 points or more in each victory. In their previous win, they defeated the previously sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes 42-38.
This victory pushed the Hurricanes out of the ACC title game, but what was more impressive was that the Orange were down 21-0 before landing a huge offensive run. They scored 21 points in the third quarter, which pushed them ahead for the win. Kyle McCord completed 26 of 36 passes for 380 yards, totaling three touchdowns.
Both teams put up similarly impressive offensive performances, with the Hurricanes getting 503 yards and the Orange landing 479. This game should have been won by the Hurricanes, but their defensive struggles were too much to overcome.
The Orange rank 33rd in the nation for accumulating 32.6 points a game. On the defensive end, they rank 94th in allowing 28.7 points from opposing teams a game.
Washington State Cougars Betting Preview
The Cougars have lost their last three games, all of which have been by three points or less. Their latest defeat was a 15-14 outing against the Wyoming Cowboys.
John Mateer completed 16 of 22 passes for 182 yards, a touchdown, but did throw one interception. He also led the ground game with 18 carries that led to 56 yards and a touchdown. Despite his solid performance, he was unable to put more points on the board in the second half.
Their offense put up 285 yards but allowed the Cowboys to get 340. They also had the ball for about 26 minutes, which did not give them enough time to add more points on the board. While they had two turnovers, they did force the Cowboys to have three.
The Cougars have averaged 36.8 points a game and rank eighth in the nation for their offensive performances. On defense they rank 90th in giving up 28.1 points a game.
Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick
MyBookie has the DirecTV Holiday Bowl betting odds ready, favoring the Orange by 16 points. According to market predictions, this battle is a toss up with the Orange estimated to have a 50.2 percent chance of winning.
When comparing the strength of schedule, the Orange rank 43rd while the Cougars are at 113th. On top of that, a majority of the Cougars’ roster is leaving through the transfer portal. This shows a large gap between the two in terms of their consistency in tough games, giving the Orange a solid chance to cover the spread.
Final Pick: Syracuse Orange -16.0 (-110)
