Syracuse is back at home for a special Halloween Friday-night game against North Carolina. However, for both Fran Brown and Bill Belichick, this year has not gone as expected. The Orange (3–5) have lost
four straight since Steve Angeli went down with an injury at Clemson on September 20. The Tar Heels (2-5), meanwhile, are also on a four-game skid.
Let’s take a look at how FanDuel has the matchup lined up:
- Spread: Syracuse –2.5
- Over/Under: 45.5
- Moneyline: Syracuse –130, North Carolina +110
Both teams are still technically alive in the race for bowl eligibility, but a loss here would make those chances extremely slim. Syracuse still has road games at Miami and Notre Dame left on its schedule, so dropping this one would make both of those games must-wins.
UNC is 4-6 in their last 10 against the spread, while Syracuse is 4-5-1, so neither school has been very reliable. There were a lot of expectations for Carolina’s first year under Bill Belichick, and despite their underwhelming showing and being underdogs on the road, many experts like UNC to win this game outright.
A new quarterback could be in play for the Orange tonight. After Rickie Collins went 0–4 in his four starts, freshman Luke Carney may get the nod in hopes of sparking the offense. If I had to make a prediction, I’d say Syracuse 20, North Carolina 17. I think the quarterback change energizes the team in front of a strong home crowd, and Syracuse pulls it out on a game-winning field goal. Only time will tell — catch the game tonight at 7:30 on ESPN.
