Syracuse Football: Clemson vs. Syracuse prediction, odds, spread and over/under for college football week 5

Syracuse football wrapped up its 2023 non-conference docket at 4-0 after storming back against Army on the Hill last weekend to win by 13 points, and now the Orange gets ready for Atlantic Coast Conference competition and a daunting three-game stretch lurking on the horizon.

This Saturday afternoon, hopefully before a large and loud JMA Wireless Dome crowd, the ‘Cuse will host Clemson in an ACC showdown.

This past Saturday, the Tigers fell at home to top-five Florida State, 31-24 in overtime. That outcome dropped Clemson to 2-2 so far in the 2023 season, and the Tigers are all but eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. In early September, Duke beat Clemson by 21 points in the season opener.

For the Orange, it found itself down by seven points this past Saturday afternoon in Central New York to an Army team that dominated the ‘Cuse in the game’s first 30 minutes. However, in the second half, Syracuse football made nice adjustments on both offense and defense, and the Orange came away with a 29-16 victory.

In the latest top-25 polls, the ‘Cuse is receiving more votes, and if it can defeat Clemson, that may propel the Orange into the top-25 rankings. But as I noted in a column on Monday, Syracuse football just needs to focus on the Tigers. The national ratings will come if the ‘Cuse takes care of business.

Clemson vs. Syracuse odds, spread and total

When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Orange as a 6.5-point betting underdog at home versus the Tigers, with the over/under set at 52.5 points.

Clemson vs. Syracuse how to watch

Date: Saturday, Sept. 30
Game Time: 12 pm
Venue: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: ABC and fuboTV
Clemson’s record: 2-2
Syracuse’s record: 4-0
Syracuse’s full 2023 schedule: Click here

Clemson vs. Syracuse key players to watch

Here is the week-five depth chart for the Orange against the Tigers, courtesy of SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister.

From an injury standpoint, star junior receiver Oronde Gadsden II and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman David Wohlabaugh Jr. are out for the remainder of the 2023 campaign due to injuries.

Head coach Dino Babers has said that redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones is likely out for a while. There are several other Orange players to monitor who could potentially be out versus Clemson, such as junior wide receiver/return specialist Trebor Pena and offensive linemen Kalan Ellis, a junior, and Joe More, a redshirt senior.

Clemson

Sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik
Klubnik is having a solid 2023 term so far. He’s completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 976 yards through the air, with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Syracuse

Senior quarterback Garrett Shrader
Shrader, in the victory versus Army, went 21-of-26 for 245 passing yards, with one passing touchdown and one interception. On the ground, he ran 10 times for 50 yards and a score.

Sophomore running back LeQuint Allen Jr.
Allen turned on the jets in the second half against the Black Knights, and he ended up tallying 20 carries for 104 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Junior wide receiver Damien Alford
Given that Gadsden and Jones are out, and maybe Pena, too, Alford is a critical target for Shrader. Last weekend, Alford hauled in nine catches for a personal-best 135 yards.

Junior defensive back Justin Barron
Barron was fabulous in the secondary against Army, producing seven total tackles, five solo tackles, one interception and one tackle for a loss. Let’s see if he or other defensive backs can record interceptions versus Klubnik.

Clemson vs. Syracuse prediction and pick

In their all-time series together, per cuse.com, the Orange is just 2-9 versus the Tigers. Clemson has beaten Syracuse football on five occasions in a row, although three of those games were decided by six points or fewer.

The last time the ‘Cuse conquered Clemson came back in 2017 at the Dome, when the Orange stunned the Tigers, 27-24.

Even though Clemson is reeling a bit by its normal standards, the Tigers nearly knocked off one of the country’s best teams, FSU, this past weekend. And Clemson’s other loss is to a Duke squad now ranked in the top 20 nationally.

So while the Tigers are 2-2 and the ‘Cuse is 4-0, I get why the odds-makers have installed Clemson as the betting favorite. My heart says to pick Syracuse football here, but the Tigers have had the Orange’s number in recent years.

I hate to do this, but I’ll forecast Clemson to beat Syracuse football on the Hill, 28-20.