Syracuse Football: Wake Forest football gameday prediction

Neil Adler (contributor) 6-2

Prediction: Syracuse wins 42-35

The Syracuse football squad, riding some serious momentum, looks to continue its winning ways when the Orange travels to Winston Salem, N.C., for an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown at Wake Forest this Saturday afternoon. SU (6-2, 3-2), newly anointed as the No. 19 outfit in the land following the release of the initial College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday evening, is coming off a thrilling 51-41 home win versus then-No. 22 N.C. State this past weekend.

The Demon Deacons (4-4, 1-3), meanwhile, emerged victorious on the road their last time out, 56-35, against a fairly pedestrian Louisville crew. The ‘Cuse, also rated No. 22 in this week’s AP top-25 poll, is bowl eligible after defeating the Wolfpack, and now our boys need to focus on WF.

ESPN.com’s match-up predictor says that Syracuse has a 65 percent chance to best the Demon Deacons, while odds-makers in Las Vegas currently project us as a five-point favorite. Wake Forest has a pretty shaky defense, so I think that SU has an excellent opportunity to pile up a bunch of yards and, most importantly, produce a ton of points.

Still, the Demon Deacons do possess a strong running game, which means the Orange defense has got to remain locked-in throughout this contest. While things are certainly exciting on the Hill at this juncture, I fear that the ‘Cuse may prove in store for a letdown, particularly after the emotional N.C. State conquest. During the 2018 campaign, Syracuse’s only two setbacks are away from the Carrier Dome. That scares me. However, I don’t believe WF will have enough offensive firepower to outscore us. SU succeeds in a close one, 42-35.