Syracuse is hosting UNC on Friday night of Week 10. The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET in Syracuse, New York.
The Orange are 2.5-point home favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 45.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this Syracuse vs. UNC ACC conference matchup.
Syracuse vs. UNC prediction, preview
Syracuse Preview
The Orange were hit by a brutal injury earlier this season. They started the season 3-1, with that lone loss coming against Tennessee. Quarterback Steve Angeli was carrying on Kyle McCord’s legacy and putting up huge numbers for Syracuse. However, Angeli went down with a long-term injury. Since turning to Rickie Collins at quarterback, Syracuse has gone 0-4 and has not even been competitive in those losses. The defense always had flaws, but Angeli was able to win some shootouts for Syracuse. The defensive issues have also been exacerbated by the amount of time they are spending on the field due to the lack of offense. Everything is going wrong for Syracuse, and it seems like a lost season with the current state of the team.
UNC Preview
The Tar Heels are trending up, while Syracuse is trending down. It was a horrible start to the Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill. UNC was getting demolished by any competent opponent they faced, and even a non-competent one in UCF. That is just the on-field issues. Off the field, Bill Belichick was getting a lot of bad press for how his tenure was starting in North Carolina. However, over the past two weeks, the team has looked much more competitive. It hasn’t translated to a win yet, but they lost by three on the road against Cal and went to overtime against No. 15 UVA. They have found some consistency at quarterback with Gio Lopez, but it’s really the defense that has elevated its play. There is still time for Bill Belichick to build some momentum heading into next season if he is serious about building a winner in Chapel Hill.
Syracuse vs. UNC pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Tar Heels to cover the short 2.5-point spread. UNC is yet to win a conference game under Bill Belichick, but this is a great opportunity to do so. Since Rickie Collins took over at quarterback, the Orange are 0-4, losing by an average of 22.5 points per game. They are not remotely competitive on either side of the ball, while UNC is actively improving, especially on defense. UNC now ranks 25th in the nation in defensive EPA/rush. They can shut down the Orange rushing attack, forcing Rickie Collins to beat them with his arm. That is something he has not been capable of. If Gio Lopez can avoid turning the ball over, UNC should be able to lean on its superior defense and run game to pick up a win in Syracuse.
