Syracuse football opens as underdog vs. Louisville

The Syracuse Orange are one win from bowl eligibility, which is a remarkable statement considering the status of last season’s team. Unfortunately for Syracuse, the road to the sixth win of the season is tough, and it starts on the road in Kentucky against the Louisville Cardinals.

In more bad news for Syracuse, the Orange opened as three point underdogs to the Cardinals, and the line has moved to 3.5 in favor of Louisville on DraftKings (odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details).

The good thing for bettors is that Syracuse continues to be one of the best teams against the spread this season, even with tight lines like this one. Syracuse is 8-1 against the spread this season. Compare that to Louisville, who are 4-5 against the spread this year.

The over/under for Saturday’s game is also currently at 55.5, which is fair given that both teams are not too shabby at scoring points. Syracuse is averaging 29.4 points per game this season with Louisville not far behind at 28.8 points per game. Notably, the Orange have scored at least 30 points in every ACC game this season with the exception of the Clemson and BC games.

Louisville won last year’s contest 30-0. Of note, that score snapped a unique streak for the winner of the Syracuse-Louisville football games. Each victor between the Orange and the Cardinals had scored more than 40 points in the win from 2015 to 2020. Given how both offenses have looked this season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the same result happens on Saturday.