The confidence is starting to grow for Clemson backers. According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Tigers will now be laying 2.5 points at the Syracuse Orange on Saturday afternoon. The opening odds had Clemson only favored by 1.5 points. While this does come in the wake of Clemson upsetting the Florida State Seminoles last weekend, the general public may be overlooking Syracuse just a little bit.
While Dabo Swinney's team cannot afford to sleep on the Orange coming in, good luck telling that to those who wager on college sports. The latest action on the point spread has moved the over/under total from 50.5 points to 49.5. It has also shifted the moneylines as well. Clemson now comes in at -137 after initially being at -113, while Syracuse sits at +114 after having been at -106 previously.
What this tells us is that what Clemson did on the road at Florida State has resonated throughout the sport. This tends to be the case whenever a team is coming off its best win of the season. Although the Tigers can certainly get another road win in Upstate New York, Syracuse is no longer all that bad. The Orange have won back-to-back ACC games over North Carolina and SMU to be 4-4 (2-4) overall.
Clemson needs recognize how dangerous Syracuse is ahead of matchup
While the Georgia Tech game in two weeks also being an early kickoff helps, it is still every bit a trap game for the Tigers coming in. This would be a prime letdown spot for Swinney's team. Clemson won in resounding fashion over Florida State on the road in primetime. Even though Syracuse did beat the Tigers in Death Valley last year, the Orange simply do not carry the same cachet as the Seminoles do.
Simply put, if the Tigers take the Orange for granted on Saturday, they are bound to get burnt. SU is a different team with Steve Angeli at quarterback. He has played well since returning from his injury. Is it enough to save Fran Brown's job? We shall see. Regardless, Clemson cannot afford to let all the good favor it just built up with its fan base go to the wayside by losing one of its more winnable games left.
If Clemson wants to be the team everyone thinks it can be in the final third of the season, it starts with playing a cohesive brand of football at Syracuse. While Clemson appears to be banged up coming in, now is the time for the Tigers to show everyone what they are truly made of. Syracuse is a team with seemingly nothing left to lose, which makes the Orange quite dangerous. Clemson needs to be ready.
Although the proverbial trap game typically features a pair of teams separated by more than one win in the standings, this one at Syracuse is certainly giving off those vibes for Clemson. A win over the Orange would get the Tigers to bowl eligibility, with three more chances to improve their holiday season destination. Of course, Syracuse only needs two more wins to become bowl-eligible as well.
This is not to say that the odds are getting out of hand, but Syracuse is a serious threat to Clemson.
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