Neil Adler (contributor) 5-0
The Syracuse football squad looks to bounce back from a heart-breaking loss at Clemson when the Orange travels to former Big East Conference rival Pittsburgh for a Saturday afternoon showdown. SU (4-1, 1-1) led for the majority of its contest versus the No. 3 Tigers this past weekend, but in the end Clemson pulled out a 27-23 conquest.
While that outcome proved a total bummer, I think it also shed some light on the fact that the ‘Cuse is a legit unit, and hopefully we have a realistic opportunity at earning a post-season bowl berth.
To make that conclusion a reality, Syracuse has to take care of business on the road against the Panthers (2-3, 1-1), a group that is struggling a bit so far in the 2018 campaign. Its last time out, Pitt got pretty well smoked at No. 13 Central Florida, 45-14. On the year, at least to this juncture, the Orange is scoring about twice as many points than the Panthers, and we’re also allowing fewer points on defense.
That’s why odds-makers out in Las Vegas currently have SU as a 3.5-point favorite, and ESPN.com’s match-up predictor says that the ‘Cuse possesses a 75.6 percent chance of emerging victorious. My gut tells me that Syracuse will have its hands full in this battle, but I believe that our boys will do just enough to achieve a success. SU over Pittsburgh in a close one, 35-27.