Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse football team is going to need to pull off its biggest upset of the year in order to become bowl eligible.
The Orange opened as 11-point underdogs for Saturday’s game against Pitt in the Carrier Dome, according to the website VegasInsider.com. The game will be played on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast by ACC Network.
Syracuse (5-6, 2-5) has won three games as underdogs this season but the biggest spread the Orange has overcome was a 6.5-point line against Liberty. The early over-under is 58.5 points.
The Orange has gone 3-6 as an underdog this season and has faced steeper odds twice this year, playing competitively against Clemson (13.5) and playing not-so-competitively on Saturday against North Carolina State (11.5).
Syracuse has been beaten soundly in its last two games and has struggled mightily with its passing offense, which has totaled just 177 yards the past three games combined. If that continues it will likely be a substantial issue against the Panthers.
Pittsburgh has allowed just 98.1 yards rushing per game this season, the best mark in the ACC. Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi’s defensive philosophy largely matches the style of defense that has given SU trouble in recent weeks. He is generally content to stack the box, send defensive players into the backfield at the quarterback and running back and play press coverage on wide receivers, forcing opponents to make deep downfield throws.
The Panthers (9-2, 6-1) locked up the Coastal Division title last week with a 48-38 win over Virginia. The victory ensured Pittsburgh a spot in the ACC Championship Game, where it will compete for a New Years Six bowl bid. They were ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Sunday, the best of any ACC team.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have anything to gain against Syracuse except for personal pride and maintaining its momentum, while the Orange needs a victory to reach the postseason, a goal many of the players noted at the start of the season.
The game will feature two of the top contenders for ACC Player of the Year in Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Syracuse running back Sean Tucker.
Led by Pickett, Pittsburgh is averaging 43.9 points per game, the best mark in the ACC. Pickett is averaging 350.6 yards per game, with 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
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