Syracuse Football: Week 14 Wake Forest crystal ball predictions

Neil Adler, Contributor (10-1)

The Syracuse football squad will conclude its 2019 campaign this Saturday afternoon when it hosts a strong Wake Forest crew on Senior Day from the Carrier Dome.

The Orange (4-7, 1-6) had its post-season bowl aspirations evaporate when the ‘Cuse lost on the road this past Saturday to Louisville, 56-34, in a high-scoring affair that included a staggering 1,118 yards of combined offense.

The Demon Deacons (8-3, 4-3), meanwhile, snapped a two-contest setback streak when they defeated Duke on Nov. 23 at home, 39-27, behind four field goals from kicker Nick Sciba.

Syracuse and Wake Forest are slated to begin their encounter at 12:30 p.m. on the Hill, with live online-streaming coverage provided by the ACC Network Extra. At this juncture, odds-makers in Las Vegas are anointing the Demon Deacons as a 6.5-point favorite, with ESPN’s Football Power Index saying that the Orange possesses a 42.2 percent chance to prevail.

In its battle with the Cardinals, the ‘Cuse saw starting quarterback Tommy DeVito get pulled for Clayton Welch due to an injury that DeVito suffered in the first half, so there could prove a question mark at this position as Wake Forest descends upon Central New York.

Unsurprisingly, the Demon Deacons from a statistical perspective are superior to Syracuse as it pertains to scoring and points allowed, as well as total yards generated and conceded. In all honesty, myself and probably every other Orange fanatic out there is truly disappointed in how the current stanza has transpired for the ‘Cuse, especially after Syracuse notched a 10-3 record a year ago and finished at No. 15 in the Associated Press top-25 poll.

I’m hopeful that the Orange can end this term on a positive note, however, my gut tells me that Wake Forest will ultimately come away with a 31-28 triumph.