The Week 4 of the NCAAF season is giving us three games on Friday, September 23, including this conference encounter, and here you can check out the best Cavaliers vs. Orange betting pick and odds.

Syracuse is looking to maintain its perfect start to the new college football season when they host Virginia at JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange are 10-point favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at 54.5 points. These conference rivals haven’t met since 2015.

Cavaliers hit a game-winning field goal against ODU

The Virginia Cavaliers bounced back from a 24-3 road defeat to the Illinois Fighting Illini with a 16-14 home victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Cavs did fail to cover a -8.5 spread, but they managed to win in a dramatic fashion with a converted field goal attempt as time expired. Only a minute before that game-winning FG from Brendan Farrell, ODU scored a TD to take a 14-13 lead.

Brennan Armstrong completed 20 of 37 passes for 284 yards and added 54 rushing yards on 14 carries. Keytaon Thompson led all the receivers with 118 yards on nine catches, while Xavier Brown was the best runner on the field with 88 yards on nine carries. Virginia did commit three turnovers opposite ODU’s one, but the Cavaliers totaled 513 yards opposite the Monarchs’ 324.

WR Billy Kemp IV missed the previous game with an illness, and it is unclear if he will suit up Friday versus Syracuse.

Orange improved to a 3-0 record with a win over the Boilermakers

The Syracuse Orange were perhaps inferior for the most part of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at home, but they got away with a 32-29 victory and improved to a 3-0 record. Just like in Virginia’s game, it was a dramatic final minute as the visitors scored a TD to get to a 29-25 lead, but the Orange responded with a touchdown of their own with just seven seconds remaining.

Purdue did collect 485 yards opposite Syracuse’s 306, but Garrett Shrader and Oronde Gadsden II were too much to handle for the Boilermakers. Shrader was rather inaccurate throughout the tilt as he completed just 13 of 29 attempts for 181 yards, but he did record three passing touchdowns. He also had 83 yards on the ground. Gadsden II caught two of Shrader’s three TD passes and ended the tilt with 112 passes on six receptions. Garrett Williams and Mikel Jones were excellent on defense with ten tackles apiece.

WR Trebor Pena sat out the last game with an unspecified injury, and it is unknown if he will play against Virginia on Friday.

Trends:

Virginia:

  • 0-4 ATS in the last four games overall
  • 2-5 ATS in the last seven Friday games

Syracuse:

  • 10-3 ATS in the last 13 games overall
  • 7-1 ATS in the last eight home games
  • 8-3 ATS in the last 11 conference games
  • 8-1 ATS in the last nine games following an ATS win

Virginia Cavaliers vs. Syracuse Orange Pick  

Garrett Shrader is one of the hottest quarterbacks in college football this season as he has eight passing touchdowns and no interceptions in three games while adding 200+ rushing yards with three TDs. Brennan Armstrong is not that effective, and I am backing Syracuse’s defense, which is allowing 16.7 ppg, to control him and not allow more than one passing TD. Virginia is averaging only 17.7 ppg opposite Syracuse’s 37.0 ppg, so I am pretty sure the Orange will outscore the visitors here.

Pick: Take the Orange at -9.5 (-120)

The Total

Syracuse scored 30+ points in each of its three games so far, and although Virginia’s defense has been pretty solid (18.3 ppg allowed), I don’t think the Cavaliers will be able to limit the hosts to below 30 points on Friday. Both teams are averaging 400+ total yards per game, so we could have a high-scoring affair. Still, the fact that Virginia is struggling on offense repels me from backing Over, and I am going with Under instead. Under is 4-0 in the Cavaliers’ last four games overall; Under is 4-1 in the Orange’s previous five home games, while Under is 4-1 in Syracuse’s last five conference games.Pick: Go Under 54.5 points (-110)