Syracuse vs Washington State Holiday Bowl
PublishedDecember 12, 2024,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 12, 2024 ,

NCAAF Syracuse vs Washington State Prediction Holiday Bowl

The Syracuse Orange (9-3) face off against the Washington State Cougars (8-4) on Friday, December 27th. This game will be played at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego and televised on FOX. Syracuse is coming off a win in their previous game, while Washington State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wyoming. Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET.

Syracuse Orange vs Washington State Cougars

NoneNone

Syracuse Offense Breakdown

Syracuse enters week 1 ranked 20th in our offensive power rankings, and they are 28th in scoring, with 32.6 points per game. Their passing game leads the nation in attempts, completions, and yards, averaging 363.1 yards per game. They have converted 48.9% of their third downs, ranking 10th nationally.

Kyle McCord leads the Orange with 4,326 passing yards and a 65.8% completion rate. He has thrown 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a passer rating of 97. Jackson Meeks, their top receiver, has 911 yards and seven touchdowns on 73 receptions. Syracuse’s ground game has struggled, averaging just 94.8 rushing yards per game.

Washington State Offense Breakdown

Washington State’s offense is averaging 36.8 points per game, ranking 10th in the nation. They are 25th in passing yards, with 268.8 yards per game, and 9th in passer rating. Our power rankings place them 33rd heading into this week.

Quarterback John Mateer has thrown for 3,139 yards, with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has a passer rating of 113. Kyle Williams leads the receiving corps with 1,026 yards and 13 touchdowns on 60 catches. On the ground, Wayshawn Parker has rushed for 735 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry.

Syracuse Team Defense

Syracuse’s defense has allowed an average of 28.7 points per game this season, including 38 points in their recent matchup against Miami. They gave up 503 total yards, with 349 yards coming through the air and 154 on the ground. Miami also recorded 25 first downs against Syracuse’s defense.

Opponents have averaged 216 passing yards per game against Syracuse, completing 65.6% of their passes. Syracuse ranks 94th in rushing yards allowed, giving up 153.8 yards per game on the ground. They have faced the 16th fewest rushing attempts in the nation, at 29.4 per game.

Syracuse Team Defense

Washington State’s defense is coming off a game where they allowed just 15 points, but they still lost 15-14 to Wyoming. The Cougars gave up 342 total yards, including 136 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 206 passing yards. They also forced one interception in the game.

On average, Washington State’s defense has allowed 28.1 points per game this season. Opponents have averaged 174 rushing yards per game and 255.3 passing yards. Quarterbacks have completed 62.1% of their passes against the Cougars, with a passer rating of 85.1.

Syracuse vs Washington State Trends

  • Syracuse has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 29 points per game while allowing 32. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
  • When looking at their past three home matchups, Washington State has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 34 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
  • Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Washington State Cougars have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
  • Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Syracuse Orange struggled vs the spread going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight up mark of 3-0.

Orange vs Cougars Prediction

Syracuse is favored by -6.5 points in their week one matchup against Washington State. We have a slight lean towards Washington State to cover the spread as the home underdog. Our projected final score is 33-30 in favor of Syracuse, making Washington State a good pick to cover.

With the over/under line set at 61.5 points, our projection of 63 total points suggests that taking the over is the best play for this game.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.