Free NCAA Football Prediction: Orange vs Bobcats Odds
Looking for Syracuse Orange vs Ohio Bobcats free picks? College football betting sees the Orange take on the Bobcats on Saturday, September 4 at Peden Stadium in Athens, OH. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game Week 1 prediction like this Orange Bobcats free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Week 1
Syracuse Orange (0-0) vs. Ohio Bobcats (0-0)
Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm EST
Venue: Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Orange -1.5 / Ohio +1.5
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Orange -120 / Ohio +110
NCAA Betting Total Odds: O/U 56
Week 1 college football sees the Syracuse Orange and Ohio Bobcats meet at Peden Stadium.
The Syracuse Orange football team has a lot to make up for after a 1 – 10 2020 under head coach Dino Babers. Granted, a lot was going on and it was hard to keep players on the field throughout the entire campaign. However, there is no crying in football, so there are no excuses after 5 years with Babers running the program. (Sorry, being a Syracuse fan might have me a little discouraged about bringing Babers back for the 6th season)
Can we even call what Ohio went through last season an actual season? This team played a total of 3 games in 2020, although a 2 – 1 record is at least still over .500 again! Solich has always seemed to manage a winning record at Ohio, despite the run of 5 straight bowl appearances being snapped simply due to not playing enough games last year. Solich has gotten his program into 11 bowls over the last 15 years, however, and Ohio is among the favorites to contend for a MAC East title this year.
The Cuse are favored by -1.5 points in this ACC vs. MAAC matchup and a 56 is attached to the total.
Syracuse Orange
Hmm hmm, 1 – 10!! Can I drop the F-Bomb because being a Cuse fan F**king sucked last year?! We all understood the why and how I suppose because keeping healthy bodies around was just not happening. Everyone had their issues in a strange 2020 season that plenty of people would like to forget.
Regardless, on paper, the Cuse looks fantastic with 10 starters on offense returning and 9 on the other side of the ball too.
Mississippi State transfer QB Garrett Shrader was in the fight to take over this season, but Babers announced on Monday that Tommy DeVito has won the opening day starters role. However, with that announcement Babers also revealed that he intends to use both QBs all throughout the game giving both players chances to perform.
A duo-QB system can be tricky but it can also keep a defense on its heels as each provides different abilities. Shrader is undoubtedly going to use his legs to pick up a few first downs and keep the chains moving. DeVito wants to build on his 3,478 passing yards with his gunslinging attitude and toss the rock all around the field.
Did you say the offensive line? Wait, I just said that, didn’t I? LoL
Yeah, how does 120 starts from your front 5 sound? In addition to bringing in Florida transfer Chris Bleich to anchor it all, there are some outlets calling for this front line to be among the most improved in the Nation.
The defensive line looks sound and sturdy with the three-headed monster of Josh Black, McKinley Williams, and Kingsley Jonathan providing a spark on the front lines.
The Cuse team total is listed at a straight 3 wins in 2021. You would think the Albany game would give them one of those wins and the Liberty and Rutgers games the following weekends could go either way too. Finding a fourth win will certainly be a necessity for Babers, and even that will put his future in doubt again. There is a ‘Bowl or Bust’ sign on someone’s door for the Cuse in 2021, and it might be hanging on a nail in Dino Babers’ office!
Ohio Bobcats
The Ohio Bobcats futures bet to win the MAC title is listed at +500 along with Buffalo at MGM. Only Toledo and Ball State are higher up on the big board at +225 and +400 respectively. That means Ohio and Buffalo are the favorites in the East Division being followed by Kent State (+1100) as the three are expected to fight out the top spot in the East Division this season.
One of them will likely become the program that heads to the Conference title game in 2021 representing the MAC East Division. In all honesty, I do not think Buffalo will be in the fight as long as the line setters think. The Bulls have a lot of pieces gone and are only returning 10 total starters from last year’s team. Even pundits with magazines like Jim Fiest have Buffalo finishing as far back as 4th in the Division in 2021.
So, let’s count them out and see why Ohio could be the team to take the East title this season.
Well, depending on how it goes, we might see a rotating QB situation in Athens under Solich this season. Armani Rogers certainly expects to see playing time in his senior season, although freshman Kurtis Roarke has made quite an impression with OC Tim Albin. Albin and Solich have been together all 17 seasons that Solich has been in charge at Ohio so the trust factor is obviously there.
Whichever QB really emerges with the bulk of the snaps, they will have a strong running game in support with everyone back from a year ago. Also, keep in mind that last season all 7 of their leading wideouts returned for the brief campaign and all of them are back again this year to help either QB. If upperclassmen and experience together are what you like to see then Ohio has plenty of that going on. In addition, most of the front 5 O-linemen are back short of losing C Brett Kitrell. Senior Nick Sink has plenty of experience to take over for him, however, so there will be productivity to rely on all season long.
Oh, where were you in 1968? Yeah, I wasn’t born yet so no one I know has seen Ohio take a Conference title. I would say that 53 years is a long time to go without a Conference title, which is amazing since Solich is seen as a solid coach who has been here for 17 years… not one? Come on man, this season needs to be the one before Solich walks away, because he needs to accomplish it before he leaves the program that has been his for so long.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Bobcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0 points.
- Under is 9-0 in Bobcats last 9 games as a home underdog.
- Under is 6-0 in Bobcats last 6 games as a home underdog of 0.5-3.0.
- Under is 10-1 in Bobcats last 11 games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0.
- Orange is 1-8-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Free Week 1 NCAA Football Pick
You can obviously see all of the Under trends when it comes to Ohio at home, and this is the opening weekend to boot. Scoring is not as easy as it sounds without actual gameplay experience under your belts. If this were week 4 or later, I might point to some points to come, but not in this case.
4* Free Week 1 NCAA Betting Pick:
I don’t see a lot of scoring going down here, as I am calling for a 31 – 20 type of game to break out in Athens. To be honest, I don’t even think they will reach that 50+ number so yeah, Under 56 is the play of the game to make! I do think Syracuse will come out on top too, so you can certainly go in that direction if you would like
4* Free Week 1 NCAA Betting Pick: Under 56
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