South Florida Bulls at Syracuse Orange

Friday, 11/11/11, 8:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread:  South Florida -4
Current Betting Line:  South Florida -3.5
Opening Total:  52.5
Current Total:  52
WagerMinds Game Detail 

South Florida will be seeking revenge for its first loss in this series a year ago, dropping a 13-9 decision to the Syracuse Orange as eight-point home favorites.  The Bulls will also be looking to snap a four-game losing streak, coming off a 20-17 loss to Rutgers as 2.5-point road favorites despite winning the statistical battle by 153 yards.

It will be hard for bettors to ignore that the Bulls are 0-3 ATS as a road favorite this year, but it’s important to note that the program is 5-0 ATS inside a domed stadium during its existence as a Division I institution.

“Nobody’s hanging their head.  Nobody’s dragging around, moping around,” commented Bulls second-year head coach Skip Holtz.  “Everybody hurts a little bit.”  It’s been a difficult time with the last three losses coming by a combined 12 points.

Junior quarterback B.J. Daniels will need to have a big game to snap the losing streak, coming in with 2,027 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and five interceptions this year.  The offense still ranks third among Big East Conference teams in scoring 32.5 points per game.

Over the last two-plus seasons, the team is 2-6 ATS in November, while the ‘under’ is 6-2 in those contests.

Syracuse sits just a win short of become bowl eligible, but has dropped two consecutive games since capturing a spirited 49-23 upset victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers as 14-point home underdogs.

“They’re not down,” commented Marrone.  “Now, are they upset?  Absolutely.  We all are.”  The Orange will be looking for just their second victory in seven meetings with the Bulls, which would also be the first victory when playing inside the Carrier Dome in the series.

Fans are no stranger in the program picking up victories in these weeknight contests, watching their team pick up wins over Wake Forest and West Virginia.  They will also be celebrating Homecoming this week.

Quarterback Ryan Nassib will look to keep the squad close until the final 15 minutes, as he’s one of the best fourth-quarter signal-callers in the nation, completing 65-of-94 passes for 613 yards and seven touchdowns during that time.

Live bettors should watch the flow of this game closely as well, with four of Syracuse’s five wins this year made possible by Nassib leading the Orange on a game-winning or game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

Over the last two-plus seasons, Syracuse is 5-0 ATS after two or more consecutive losses, while the ‘under’ is 3-2 in that span.

Pick: 

South Florida Bulls -3.5

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