Syracuse football opens as 9.5-point underdog vs. Notre Dame

There are just two games left in the 2018 regular season, and the No. 12 Syracuse Orange sit at a comfortable 8-2 on the year (5-2 in ACC play). If they want to increase that win total, however, they’ll probably need to pull off at least one upset here in November.

Odds for Saturday’s game against the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0) were released yesterday and SU opened as a 9.5-point underdog, according to VegasInsider. That line’s already gone up to 10 (and come down a half-point) depending on the sportsbook, and could potentially shift further assuming ND quarterback Ian Book has a clean bill of health, as it appears he may.

The game is a “home game” for the Irish, though the New York City location at Yankee Stadium could end up with a decent number of Orange fans too, assuming third party sales beyond the original, sold-out visitors allotment. Being nearly a double-digit underdog on a home field at least shows that Vegas is not necessarily as high on SU as a top-12 team as we may be.

Of note, Syracuse is 7-3 against the spread this year, according to OddsShark, while Notre Dame is just 5-4-1. SU has covered in three straight games since failing to against UNC. This is one of the only games all year where they’ve been underdogs (Clemson, FSU and NC State being the others — all of which they covered, and two they won outright).

SU is 2-0 at this iteration of Yankee Stadium, having won the Pinstripe Bowl there in both 2010 and 2012. Notre Dame is also 2-0 in this Yankee Stadium, with a 2013 Pinstripe Bowl win and a regular season victory over Army. The Orange and Fighting Irish have played at Yankee Stadium (the old one) before too, in 1963. Syracuse beat a 2-7 ND club, 14-17 back then.

Overall, the Orange are 3-5 against Notre Dame, with two straight losses (both at MetLife Stadium). Their last win in the series was back in 2008: the infamous 24-23 GERG upset when the former SU coach had already been fired by that point in the season.

What do you think about the line? Who’s placing bets? And who’s too superstitious to go near it? (/raises hand)