Welcome to Week 7 of the college football season. Alabama, Penn State, and BYU headlined top-10 losses just last week. We could continue to see the elite fall in this wild season. An early playoff-hopeful who has since fallen off with two losses is Clemson.
The Tigers have utterly failed to replace their headlining talent from last year. But to reach this low point is shocking. Meanwhile, Syracuse is one of the most fun teams in the country to watch each week. Their offense is thriving, and they play up to their competition.
They have a chance to continue contributing to Clemson’s meltdown. Both teams have an interesting betting profile for us to consider as we preview how they stack up. We have you covered from every angle of this matchup. Let’s dig in.
Clemson Tigers vs. Syracuse Orange
Friday, October 15, 2021 – 07:00 PM EDT at Carrier Dome
Here is a look at the Week 7 NCAAF odds between Clemson and Syracuse odds courtesy of BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review).
- Clemson -13.5 (-110)
- Over/Under 44.5 (-110)
- Moneyline - N/A
Clemson vs. Syracuse Game Preview
Here’s a look at the preview between Clemson and Syracuse for Week 7.
Syracuse Offense vs. Clemson Defense
The Orange made a decision to transition from a two-quarterback system to fully embracing dual-threat Garrett Shrader. The offense hasn’t looked back since from a production standpoint. Shrader isn’t an efficient passer, completing just 57% of passes, but he is averaging 5.5 yards per carrying and has eight touchdowns.
Schrader compliments star running back Sean Tucker. Tucker is one of the best playmakers in the country. He already has 995 total yards and 11 touchdowns. He’ll be the best overall player in this game. The negative of Shrader is he takes away carries from Tucker. While the run threat of Shrader is a positive, losing any touches to the less explosive and consistent ball-carrier is a trade-off the team has decided to make.
Tommy Devito wasn’t a good enough passer to overcome that negative but the balance of the offense went with Devito to the bench. Clemson’s third-ranked defense is stout and respectively. They’re especially good against the run thanks to discipline, athleticism, and size. Syracuse will work hard to find success in this matchup.
Clemson Offense vs Syracuse Defense
It’s almost impossible to believe D.J. Uiagalelei and this offense have been the 112th-best unit in the country. Uiagalelei was my pre-season Heisman pick after his wonderful debut in 2020 in relief of Trevor Lawrence. He had the size, raw natural talent, and a certain degree of polish and confidence for a freshman.
None of it has translated to this year. His completion rate has bombed to 54%, and he;’s averaging 5.7 yards per completion. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott has been unimaginative and unable to spur a young cast of playmakers into a productive unit. Things shouldn’t be this hard for a team that’s won so often over the last decade.
Syracuse has a legitimate defense. They’re average in points allowed but much better at restricting yards. The Orange can hold their own if they can force Clemson to go the length of the field and not give the Tigers short field positioning.
Betting Trends for Clemson vs. Syracuse
Clemson hasn’t covered a spread in their last six games and four of their last five have gone under. But they have still won 13 of their last 17. Syracuse has covered seven of their last eight contests but has won only three of their last 14. They’ve covered six of their last 10 against Clemson.
CFB Betting Picks: Clemson vs. Syracuse
I’m hoping Syracuse feeds Tucker more than relies on Shrader’s legs. Clemson will try to force Shrader into beating them, and that won’t end well if he takes on too much. Clemson isn’t a good team this year, so this game will be closer than it should be.
NCAAF Pick: Syracuse +13.5 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
