We’ve got a good old fashioned Big Ten/ACC battle on our hands Saturday morning as the 1-1 Purdue Boilermakers travel to Syracuse to take on the suddenly resurgent Orange. After entering the season with the next-to-longest odds to win the ACC and a win total of 4.5, Syracuse has come out of the gates in dominant fashion easily taking care of business against Louisville and UConn. Star running back Sean Tucker and junior quarterback Garrett Shrader lead the Orange’s offensive attack and it’s going to be a long day for the Boilermakers if they don’t dominate up front.
After losing a heartbreaker in Week 1 against rival Penn State, the Boilermakers bounced back in a big way last week dominating FCS foe Indiana State, 56-0. While much was made of Aidan O’Connell, David Bell and Purdue’s offense last year, its defense quietly had a phenomenal season that propelled it to a number of key victories. Losing First Team All-American George Karlaftis along with both starting cornerbacks, however, could be the difference here as the Syracuse offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders.
Purdue was most definitely a pass-first offense in 2021, and the same has continued in 2022 with Aiden O’Connell under center and star wideout Charlie Jones terrorizing defensive backs on the outside. Syracuse has a clear identity under defensive coordinator Tony White and the strength of the Orange defense is firmly in their secondary. While they have shut down their first two opponents, Purdue should provide a much bigger challenge as O’Connell has thrown for five touchdowns with no interceptions while Jones has been one of the best receivers in college football since transferring from Iowa to join forces with McConnell, his best friend since childhood.
Purdue vs. Syracuse Predictions and Betting Picks
Through two games Syracuse has looked like one of the most improved teams in the country and the betting market is showing the Orange some respect, instilling them as a 1.5 point home favorite against O’Connell and the Boilermakers. While the defense has been much improved, the story of Syracuse’s season has been the offense, especially Shrader who through two weeks is graded as the best quarterback in the country by PFF. While his gaudy numbers are unlikely to continue, Shrader’s improvement has turned the Syracuse offense from a one-dimensional attack revolving solely around Tucker to a multi-dimensional one that has kept defenses on its heels.
Purdue, on the other hand, is led by O’Connell and the aforementioned Jones who leads the Big Ten in receptions (21), receiving yards (286), and receiving touchdowns (4). He also leads the nation in receptions per game (10.5) and the Syracuse secondary is in for a big challenge containing one of the most lethal quarterback/wide receiver combinations in all of college football.
Is Syracuse a Deserving Favorite?
Though the Seminoles have looked like the better team so far, it’s only been two games and it would be a big mistake to undersell O’Connell and the Boilermakers here. That said, Syracuse is a small favorite for a reason and with offensive fire power on both sides it’s no surprise the total in this game is approaching 60 points.
Purdue’s biggest weakness on defense is stopping the run and that’s a major issue facing Tucker, who is easily one of the best running backs in college football right now. The Boilermakers offense, however, can cause similar problems for Syracuse on the other side of the ball and with O’Connell and Jones looking borderline unstoppable right now we should be in for a good one in central New York.
Purdue vs Syracuse Prediction
Through two games this season Syracuse has looked like the slightly better team and with no losses on their resume it’s easy to see why they are a slight home favorite. Purdue, on the other hand, could also easily be 2-0 and with much more offensive fire power than the Orange has seen throughout their first two games O’Connell and Jones should continue their torrid stretch in what should be a close, high scoring Purdue win. Take the points but we won’t need them in the end.
Best NCAAF Bets: Purdue +1.5 & Purdue ML +105
