Syracuse vs. Washington State Holiday Bowl: Prediction, Preview, and Betting Lines

Syracuse vs Washington State: How to Watch the DirecTV Holiday Bowl, Game Preview

Date: Friday, December 27, 2024
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
How To Watch: FOX
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Teams: Syracuse (9-3), Washington State (8-4)
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Why Washington State Will Win

Let’s start with the good. Everyone on the Cougars will be extremely committed to playing in this.

They have to be active from the start on the defensive front, they must get a little pressure on QB Kyle McCord, and the lousy run defense should get a break. Syracuse isn’t much of a running team averaging fewer than 100 yards per game, and it’s not likely to change now.

That’s not to say it won’t try running. It just can’t do it.

On the flip side, oddly enough, Syracuse’s three losses came on the best days of the season by the pass defense. That’s for a few odd reasons - like five turnovers against Pitt and two against Stanford - and in this, Washington State has create its own breaks.

The D forced 22 takeaways on the season including five in the last two games, and …

Why Syracuse Will Win

Washington State lost almost all of its top players to the portal, head coach Jake Dickert (Wake Forest), star QB John Mateer (Oklahoma), and most of the assistant coaches.

The team got gutted. Forget about depth, the Cougars will be without close to half of their regular starters. On the flip side, Syracuse’s losses were kept to a bare minimum.

Even with the team in place, the Cougars managed to lose to New Mexico, Oregon State, and Wyoming to close. None of those three teams are going bowling. And if that wasn’t enough, even at full go the Wazzu pass defense was miserable and …

Syracuse vs Washington State: Who Will Win?

It’s one of the biggest under-the-radar things about the 2023 college football season. Ohio State was only too happy to let Kyle McCord go, and he finished the season as the nation’s leading passer averaging 360 yards per game for the Orange.

To be totally honest, it would be one of the best moments of the entire bowl season if Washington State could pull this off. It’s been through so much as a program since the Pac-12 imploded - and will reemerge as a mere shadow of its former self - and now … this.

So give the Cougars credit - they’re still here. But as long as Syracuse doesn’t get overconfident and doesn’t make a slew of mistakes, it should be able to do whatever it wants.

Syracuse vs Washington State DirecTV Holiday Bowl Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Syracuse 44, Washington State 16
Line: Syracuse -17.5, o/u: 59.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
Must See Rating: 2
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