The 6-6 South Florida Bulls are 2.5-point underdogs in the Boca Raton Bowl against the 6-6 Syracuse Orange, a game with a 58.5-point total. Let’s dive into our South Florida-Syracuse odds, pick and prediction for this year’s Boca Raton Bowl. If you’re looking for more college football bets, check out our college football betting tools and our guide to betting on football.
Boca Raton Bowl Pick: South Florida-Syracuse Bet
Boca Raton Bowl Odds
Odds via bet365
South Florida: +110 | Syracuse: -130
South Florida +2.5: -110 | Syracuse -2.5: -110
Over 58.5: -110 | Under 58.5: -110
Expert: Matt Gajewski
Time: Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m. ET
South Florida- Syracuse News & Notes
South Florida Absences: Edge Lloyd Summerall, S Will Jones, OL Andrew Kilfoyl, RB K’Wan Powell
South Florida Coaching Changes: N/A
Syracuse Absences: TE Oronde Gadsden, WR Trebor Pena, WR Isaiah Jones, QB Garrett Shrader, iOL Kalen Ellis, Edge Denis Jaquez Jr., CB Jeremiah Wilson, Edge Leon Lowery, Edge Terry Lockett, CB Jeremiah Wilson, Edge Terry Lockett
Syracuse Coaching Changes: Dino Babers
South Florida-Syracuse Comparison
| Metric | South Florida | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | 2nd | 57th |
| Overall Offense | 105th | 108th |
| Run Blocking | 132nd | 116th |
| Pass Blocking | 92nd | 76th |
| Pass Rate | 88th | 124th |
| Overall Defense | 100th | 39th |
| Run Defense | 66th | 41st |
| Pass Rush | 64th | 124th |
| Coverage | 114th | 19th |
Boca Raton Bowl Pick & Prediction
Syracuse and South Florida both had middling seasons and finished 6-6. The Orange earned four wins in non-conference before sputtering in conference play and ultimately firing head coach Dino Babers. Similarly, South Florida reached bowl eligibility with the six weakest wins among all bowl teams.
The Bulls reached this game beating three backup quarterbacks (Rice, FAU, and Charlotte). Their other wins occurred against Florida A&M, Navy, and UConn. This explains their horrific efficiency metrics, highlighted by the 100th ranked offense. The team is fairly intact, led by dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown. While Brown rushed for 745 yards on the ground, he leaves plenty to be desired as a passer. His underlying efficiency metrics feature 23 touchdowns with 25 turnover worthy plays.
More importantly, he will face Syracuse’s 39th-ranked defense. With Brown excelling primarily on the ground, Syracuse’s 41st ranked run defense will need to stand tall. The Orange did lose starting edge Leon Lowery, but the defense line is healthy otherwise. This should give them a sharp edge.
The Orange will play without starting quarterback Garrett Shrader. Fortunately, the offense moved away from Shrader late in the year, moving to a modified option offense. The team only averaged 16.5 pass attempts in its final two games with much of this coming from converted tight end Dan Villari. Between Villari and running back LeQuint Allen, the important pieces of Syracuse’s offense are in place.
The USF defense ranks among the worst in college football. The Bulls ranked 100th in overall defense but played respectably against the run. With that said, most competent offenses had no problem scoring. UTSA, Memphis, FAU, UAB, Navy, and Rice all scored at least 29 points on this unit, giving Syracuse another advantage on this side of the ball. Ultimately, this line is favorable for mid-week bowl bettors.
Boca Raton Bowl Pick & Prediction and our South Florida-Syracuse Bet: Syracuse -2.5 (-110) at bet365
