Wake Forest vs Syracuse: Line, Preview and Predictions
Saturday marks Wake Forest's final home game of the season, a matchup against the 6-4 Syracuse Orange. Both teams have hit the skids and are looking to bounce back from tough losses. Check out our predictions for the outcome of the game along with other important gameday information below.
Gameday info:
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Weather: Clear, high of 51 degrees, low of 30 degrees
Moneyline: Wake Forest (-370), Syracuse (+287)
Over/under: 56
Spread: Wake Forest -10
Why Wake can cover:
Syracuse’s offense has been anemic the past two weeks, putting up just 12 combined points in matchups against Pitt and Florida State. Part of this can be chalked up to the absence of QB Garrett Shrader due to injury — but the Orange struggled even in his return, falling 38-3 to the Seminoles and putting up just 95 yards of total offense. Star halfback Sean Tucker wasn’t at his best last week either, putting up just 52 rushing yards on 14 carries. Also, Dave Clawson will have this team playing with a little extra juice on senior day — this is potentially the last home game for 22 seniors, including QB Sam Hartman. If Wake can contain Tucker and build off the strong offensive performance against UNC (34 points, 490 yards of offense), the Deacs could bounce back, outpace Syracuse and win by double digits.
Why Syracuse can cover:
Syracuse has dropped four straight, and the absence of Shrader has clearly impacted this team. Now that he’s back and had a game to get his legs under him again, the Orange offense could be primed for a bounce-back performance. This Wake Forest defense has had trouble with dual-threat quarterbacks all year, giving up 448 passing yards, 71 rushing yards and five total TDs to Drake Maye just last week. Also, Shrader wreaked havoc on the Deacs a year ago, finishing with 160 passing yards, 178 rushing yards and three total TDs. Combine the threat Shrader poses with an electric back in Sean Tucker, and Dino Babers' squad could keep this one close or pull off the upset.
Essex Thayer:
The Pick: Syracuse +10
Over the course of their four-game losing streak, Syracuse has struggled on offense, averaging just 14 points per game. But, most of that has come with an unhealthy Garrett Shrader. With Shrader back, it can’t be forgotten what the dual-threat quarterback did to Wake Forest last season — he notched 198 yards and a score on the ground, adding 160 and two touchdowns through the air. Running back Sean Tucker also dissected the Deacons’ defense, gaining 153 yards for two scores in the overtime loss. Wake Forest can be vulnerable against the run, as they’ve allowed an average of 183.6 yards per game during their losing streak. The Deacs will need to slow down the tandem of Shrader and Tucker to get the win. With an offense that is due to get back on track, Wake Forest has an opportunity to put an end to the losing streak, but 10 points is too many to give with the team’s current struggles.
Wake Forest 38, Syracuse 34
Ben Conroy:
The Pick: Syracuse +10
The back half of the season hasn’t been kind to either of these squads — the last time either of them won was when Wake defeated Boston College 43-15 back in Week 8. Now, two stumbling teams are colliding, both looking to end the regular season on a high note. I think Garrett Shrader poses a huge threat to the Wake defense, as they’ve struggled against dual-threat QBs all year. He and star halfback Sean Tucker will make some plays to keep things close, but I think Sam Hartman will go out with a bang in his final home game. Both teams will find their footing offensively, but Wake will emerge with a close victory.
Wake Forest 35, Syracuse 28
Sam Rausch:
The Pick: Syracuse +10
In a clash of struggling teams, Syracuse travels to Winston-Salem Saturday for the Deacs’ final home game of the 2022 season. During their four-game skid, the Orange have been outscored 125-57 and have been struggling mightily as quarterback Garett Shrader’s health has continued to be in question. Talented running back Sean Tucker is looking to get back on track after being held under 60 rushing yards in the each of the last four games. Having been on similar paths the last several weeks, both Cuse and Wake Forest are eager to get back in the win column this Saturday. I expect Tucker to return to elite form and a healthy Shrader to have a big game. Even so, the Deacs should have the advantage of a rowdy Senior Day home crowd. In a similar fashion to last year, I am taking Wake Forest to win by a narrow margin.
Wake Forest 37, Syracuse 31
Ben Remis:
The Pick: Wake Forest -10
Last year against Wake Forest, Syracuse running back Sean Tucker rushed for 153 yards — his third highest single-game total against an ACC team in his career. However, Tucker has only 131 yards rushing over his last three total games. While Syracuse is 5-1 when rushing for over 100 yards, Wake Forest is 2-4 this season when allowing 115 rushing yards or more. It’s clear that the key to this game for the Deacs is stopping Tucker and the Orange ground game — the good news for Wake is that their rush defense ranks just behind Syracuse’s last two opponents (Florida State and Pitt) in rushing yards per game. Looking at the series history between these two teams, the margin of victory seems to fluctuate every year. After last year’s overtime spectacular, it’s time for another decisive victory. For these reasons, I’ll take the home team for a memorable senior night celebration.
Wake Forest 31, Syracuse 17
Eliot Leadem:
The Pick: Syracuse +10
Wake Forest and Syracuse are on a combined seven-game losing streak, a trend some would have found hard to believe just a month ago. However, Syracuse may have the edge in that QB Garrett Shrader is returning to health and thus should resume a strong workload on offense. If this frees up RB Sean Tucker, Wake Forest’s defense will have a tricky time pivoting between the rush and pass attack. One statistic that could give Wake Forest a competitive edge in this game is in penalties. While the Deacs rank as the least penalized team in the ACC, the Orange have committed 84 penalties through ten games, giving up 63.7 yards per game. This could help spot the Deacs some extra yardage, and Wake's receivers have consistently drawn pass interference calls all year long. If late game woes persist for the Deacs on offense, this one will go down to the wire.
Wake Forest 30, Syracuse 27
Spread picks season record:
Ben Remis: 7-3
Sam Rausch: 7-3
Eliot Leadem: 5-5
Essex Thayer: 6-4
Ben Conroy: 5-5
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