CFB Computer Picks, Analysis and Best Bet For Virginia vs. Syracuse on September 23, 2022

The Syracuse Orange are looking to improve to 4-0 when they host the Virginia Cavaliers for an exciting Friday night ACC match-up at 7:00PM ET on September 23. Virginia hasn't looked great to start the season, but this is an opportunity for head coach Tony Elliott to lead his team to a big win. Syracuse has surprisingly gotten off to a 3-0 start and looks like one of the better teams in the conference.  

Will the Cavaliers find a way to steal the show at the Carrier Dome on Friday? You might want to keep reading our Virginia vs. Syracuse betting preview to find out. 

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Virginia vs. Syracuse Computer Picks

Predictive Analytics Data

• 69% chance Syracuse win on the money line
• 52% chance Virginia covers the +9 spread
• 54% Virginia vs. Syracuse goes Under 53 total points

For the best CFB computer picks, check out our Virginia vs. Syracuse data predictions. They are constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Virginia vs. Syracuse Analysis

The Spread

Syracuse has been one of the best stories of the season thus far, as the Orange are 3-0 after having earned an insane win over Purdue last week. Quarterback Garrett Shrader hit Oronde Gadsden II with a touchdown pass with seven seconds remaining in that game, helping Syracuse earn a 32-29 win. Now, he'll get to take on a Virginia team that is nowhere near as good as Purdue, so it wouldn't be surprising if he and running back Sean Tucker went wild in this game. 

Shrader is a very good runner at the quarterback position, as he has a nice combination of size and wheels. He rushed for 83 yards against the Boilermakers last game, while Tucker only rushed for 42. It was the first time all year that Tucker was held to under 100 yards rushing, and we expect him to bounce back with a massive performance against a Cavaliers team that let Illinois rush for 201 yards in a 24-3 loss to the Fighting Illini two weeks ago. Syracuse should be able to replicate that performance and potentially do a bit more damage. 

Virginia just doesn't have the type of defense required to give Shrader trouble. He's going to bounce off of those linebackers when he takes off to run, and his improved passing — he has thrown for 709 yards with eight touchdowns and zero picks this year — should allow him to shred the Cavaliers through the air. 

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Defensively, Syracuse has looked remarkable this year. The team mostly held up well against Purdue's explosive passing offense, and that was directly after giving up 21 points combined against Louisville and Connecticut. The Orange gave up just seven against the Cardinals, which is remarkable when you factor in that Malik Cunningham is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. 

All in all, Dino Babers' team is firing on all cylinders right now and we'd be pretty surprised if the Orange don't beat the Cavaliers pretty easily. Virginia should have some success moving the football once the game is already somewhat out of hand, but Syracuse should have an answer for everything Brennan Armstrong and Co. throws its way. 

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The Over/Under

The Under has hit in three games in a row for Virginia, but this team should snap out of it and start scoring points rather soon. Armstrong threw for 4,449 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 picks last year, which is rather impressive and shows you that this year's slow start is nothing but a fluke.

Syracuse should get off to a hot start in this game, as the crowd will be fired up quite a bit with this being a night game. But once the Cavaliers go down, they'll throw often and Armstrong will lead a few successful drives. 

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This Orange team is averaging 40.0 points per game over the last two weeks and should have no trouble putting a big number on the board here. This just has all the makings of a high-scoring game, and we think Tucker will bounce back in a big way after rushing for just 42 yards against Purdue. Look for him to put up huge numbers and make Over bettors very happy in this one. 

Virginia vs. Syracuse Best Bet

Over 55 Points

The Over has hit in two of Syracuse's three games this season and this game has the potential to be pretty high scoring. The Cavaliers haven't shown it this season, but their passing game can be pretty explosive. We expect that to manifest itself in this game, with Virginia potentially throwing quite a bit after falling behind Syracuse early on. That's why our best bet is Over 55. 

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