Syracuse +5 2.2% play
This is a big divisional game to kick off the season in the ACC with two head coaches feeling the pressure of their jobs on the line. With that said there is a lot of love in the market for Louisville due to QB Malik Cunningham, but I'm not so sure they should be a road favorite here, and the line has moved up to +5, giving us even more value on Syracuse, a team that returns 17 guys. Syracuse also lost 71-3 the last two years to Louisville, and don't think that's been on their mind all spring/summer long.
Aside from the returnign players it will be the second season of DC Tony White's system (3-3-5), and they bring in OC Robert Anae from Virginia who has experience runnign the spread with heavy run and heavy pass, and I think we will see him lean on the running game, which is the strength of this offense with Garret Scharaeder and Sean Tucker. They ran for 198 yards against Louisville last year, the big key is to keep the game close early so they are not forced to pass. Anae's Virginia team put 500+ yards up on Louisville's defense, and it was all by the pass, and I think we will see a more balanced Syracuse offense this year with their top 3 receivers returning. Special Teams, which was a huge issue last year can only improve with a new ST coach as well, and you can't forget that the Carrier Dome now JMA Wirelless Dome is a very hard place to play especailly at night.
Louisville's HC Scott Satterfeld to me has been a disspointment, just 4-10 on the road, and I don't see how it's going to get any better this year. I think they're in the mix for another 7-5 season. I think this game comes down to the wire, and it's a game that Syracuse can steal.
