Friday night under the Dome sets the stage for Syracuse’s bounce-back shot against Colgate after a 45–26 loss to Tennessee and a shaky overtime escape against Connecticut. The Orange step in as 37.5-point favorites, and the total has ticked up to 66.5. This series hasn’t been competitive in decades—Syracuse has won 17 straight since 1950, including a 65–0 rout in 2023. The Dome has been a fortress, with Syracuse winning 11 of its last 12 non-conference home games, and history tilts heavily toward the Orange handling business again. The question is not straight-up outcome but whether Syracuse covers or whether game flow drags scoring beneath the lofty total. Below is my prediction and pick for College Football Week 3’s game between the Syracuse Orange and the Colgate Raiders.
Here’s how I’ll play it. I’ll be pumping out these predictions for individual games all season, with plenty of coverage here on DraftKings Network. Follow my handle @dansby_edits for more betting plays.
Syracuse vs. Colgate prediction, preview
Quarterback Steve Angeli has carried the Syracuse offense early, throwing for 691 yards in two games at 9.5 yards per attempt. Against Connecticut he piled up 417 passing yards with two touchdowns, after opening with 274 yards against Tennessee’s pressure looks. His accuracy is workable at 62%, but the volume drives production. Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons has already logged 133 yards and two scores, while tight end Dan Villari provides an intermediate option. Running back Yasin Willis is the finisher, with 139 rushing yards and four touchdowns, ranking top-five nationally in rushing scores. The Orange average 418 passing yards per game but only 73 rushing, leaving a clear imbalance. That split pushes tempo early, but once the margin builds, Fran Brown has incentive to flip into a ground-heavy clock-bleeding script.
Colgate’s profile makes it difficult to envision sustained resistance. Quarterback Jake Stearney has thrown for 466 yards at 6.5 yards per attempt with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He completed 11 of 14 for 227 yards and two scores against Monmouth, but the defense imploded, allowing 21 fourth-quarter points in a 42–39 loss. Wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders is the standout, already producing 223 yards in a single game with a season line of 360 yards and three touchdowns. Yet the run game averages only 3.4 yards per carry, with no back clearing 90 rushing yards on the season. Defensively, Colgate has allowed 31 points per game and nearly 400 yards per outing, including 327 passing yards per game surrendered. That doesn’t translate well against an opponent averaging nearly 350 passing yards.
Colgate vs. Syracuse pick, best bet
The statistical contrast is stark. Syracuse ranks 12th nationally in passing offense but only 98th in red-zone efficiency at 69.2%. Colgate ranks 125th in points per game at 20, with a defense that sits bottom-20 in scoring. Syracuse has committed 15 penalties across two games for 127 yards, gifting possessions, but Colgate has not demonstrated the consistency to exploit those mistakes. The Raiders have lost 13 straight road games and are 3–7 ATS across their last ten overall. Syracuse is 6–1 ATS in its last seven Week 3 contests, though it is just 1–3–1 ATS in its last five overall. Trends on totals split: Syracuse has gone over in four of its last five, while Colgate has gone over in five of its last seven. Yet their last three meetings landed at 65, 40, and 49 total points, each beneath this number.
The hinge is the second-half throttle. Fran Brown will want to sharpen Angeli’s rhythm and Ross-Simmons’ chemistry early, but the staff won’t chase style points. Clemson looms next week, and Syracuse cannot afford injuries to its thin receiving corps. That means second-half carries for Willis and Will Nixon, clock-draining drives, and fewer possessions overall. Colgate’s offense, while capable of explosive plays to Saunders, has not proven it can finish drives against even FCS defenses. The Raiders’ 184th-ranked rushing attack leaves them one-dimensional, and Stearney facing ACC pressure is a different environment than Monmouth or Villanova. Blowouts suppress totals, and Syracuse has every reason to pull starters by the third quarter.
I see this ending somewhere around Syracuse 48 – Colgate 10. Syracuse dominates early, then shifts into cruise control. That keeps the final scoreboard beneath the market number.
Best bet: Syracuse vs. Colgate u66.5 total points (-110)
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