Syracuse football vs. N.C. State best bets for week 7

Syracuse football will look to move to 6-0 so far in the 2022 season and climb up further in the top-25 polls as the Orange hosts top-15 N.C. State this coming Saturday afternoon from the JMA Wireless Dome.

The ‘Cuse (5-0), coming off of a bye week, will play a game on the Hill when both the Orange and its opponent reside in the top 20 of the major polls for the first instance in nearly 25 years. I don’t want to get too crazy here, but to me, this is a monumental Atlantic Coast Conference clash for Syracuse football.

While the ‘Cuse is situated at No. 18 in the latest Associated Press and the Coaches polls, the Wolfpack (5-1) is No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the Coaches poll.

As it pertains to national ratings, if Syracuse football could prevail over N.C. State, this would prove the biggest triumph for the Orange to date in 2022, and the schedule for the ‘Cuse doesn’t get any easier over the next several weeks.

Best Syracuse football bets week 7

Here’s what I like from a betting perspective as the Orange welcomes N.C. State to Central New York this Saturday afternoon, with the kick-off slated for 3:30 pm and television coverage on the ACC Network.

Take the ‘Cuse to cover the spread
When I penned this column, WynnBET had Syracuse football as a 3.5-point favorite against N.C. State.

Now, 3.5 points isn’t a whole lot, but it does mean the ‘Cuse would have to emerge victorious by more than a field goal. I expect this ACC collision to be close, so that may lead some to believe that even if Syracuse football does prevail, the Orange is likely to win by fewer than 3.5 points.

That’s not where I am here, personally. I could envision Syracuse football notching a victory by a touchdown or so, although things change if N.C. State’s talented starting quarterback, Devin Leary, doesn’t play in this ACC contest.

Leary suffered an unfortunate injury last weekend when the Wolfpack escaped Florida State at home. He is expected to come back at some point in the 2022 stanza, but his timetable for returning hasn’t been disclosed, according to media reports.

Even if Leary does suit up versus the Orange, N.C. State has competed in two tough games in a row. The Wolfpack first lost on the road to Clemson by 10 points, and then N.C. State defeated the Seminoles by two points this past Saturday on its own turf.

Syracuse football, meanwhile, crushed Wagner in week five and then had a bye week in week six. The Orange roster, though it has suffered multiple season-ending injuries, should be fresh and ready to roll. I like the ‘Cuse to cover the spread against N.C. State.

Take the under (I think)
WynnBET has set the over/under at 44.5 points.

Per ESPN statistics, N.C. State to date in the 2022 season is averaging 30.5 points per game while allowing 15.7 points per affair. Syracuse football, conversely, is tallying 38.4 points per encounter and giving up just 14.0 points per meeting, which is stellar.

The Wolfpack’s starting quarterback situation is up in the air, or at least it was when I wrote this piece. N.C. State could be a bit worn out after competing hard in two straight ACC affairs. Yes, the Orange should be well rested and recharged after a bye week, but the Wolfpack does appear to have a pretty good defense, too.

I could be way off here, but I feel like this is going to be a low-scoring game. As such, I’ll go with the under here.

Go with SU on the moneyline
WynnBET, when I wrote this article, had the moneyline at +140 for N.C. State and -170 for the Orange. This is a straight-up bet, with no spread involved. So it really boils down to whether you think the ‘Cuse is going to win (or not).

If you pick Syracuse football, you’d have to bet $170 to win $100, or some denomination of that. I don’t think that’s a huge moneyline, and I believe the Orange will best N.C. State. Therefore, I’d take Syracuse football on the moneyline versus the Wolfpack.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.