Clemson opens as 28.5-point favorite over Syracuse

Last year when the No. 1 Clemson Tigers came to the Carrier Dome to take on the lowly Syracuse Orange, they opened as a 26.5-point favorite. They only ended up winning by 10 in a game in which Syracuse tried everything it could to pull off the upset.

This time around they’ll likely be the No. 3 team in the nation when they host the Orange this weekend. Clemson is 8-0 and has their sights set on returning to the College Football Playoff. Syracuse, meanwhile, enters the game 4-4 and is fighting for a shot at a bowl game.

Vegas doesn’t think much of Syracuse’s chances to add one in the win column this weekend. They’ve installed Clemson as a 28.5-point favorite. Considering it’s a home game and the Tigers are coming off of a big win over rival FSU, that seems fair enough. When you couple it with SU’s penchant for giving up big numbers to good offenses, it really makes sense. Syracuse’s recent wins are nice but they don’t stack up to what Clemson has accomplished this season.

Reminder, this isn’t the biggest line SU has gone up against. SU was a 38.5-point underdog at one point to Florida State three years ago. The Orange lost that game 59-3.