NCAA Football
2012-12-29 - West Virginia at Syracuse Orange
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States: NCAA Football
Saturday 29 December 2012 - Kick Off 3:15pm
8:15pm (British Time)
Preview
The Pinstripe Bowl will be played at Yankee Stadium this year and it is between two schools that will be more than a little familiar with one another. The West Virginia Mountaineers (7-5) and the Syracuse Orange (7-5) were formerly Big East Conference rivals and had played at least once a year between 1955-2011 but now get the chance to extend that run in this Bowl game.
The fact that these schools were rivals up until last year should at least mean both teams are fully motivated, something that can be lacking for some schools at this time of the year.
The West Virginia Mountaineers did look like a potential National Championship contender early in the season as they opened 5-0, but 5 consecutive defeats meant that was not to be while the Big 12 proved to be a little too tough for them.
We all know what to expect from the Mountaineers as they have one of the most explosive Offenses in the nation. They will be losing some key personnel of that Offense in the off-season, so this is the last chance for the likes of Geno Smith, Tavon Auston and Stedman Bailey all expected to be taken in the NFL Draft with Smith very possibly the overall Number 1 pick.
There aren't too many Defenses, if any, in College Football that would be able to slow down the West Virginia Offense to a standstill, so we have to expect points in this one. However, the Mountaineers have to be careful as they are playing a Defense that is capable of making plays as they average 7.5 tackles for loss per game this season, putting them at 10th in that category in the nation.
Syracuse can get some pressure on Smith and force him to make mistakes and it has to be in his head that the Quarter Back has only thrown 3 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions in 2 previous games against Syracuse. West Virginia will be able to slow the pass rush a little with their ability to run the ball too, so don't expect the West Virginia Offense to be totally bogged down.
On the other hand, Syracuse's Offense may not get all the media attention that West Virginia's does, but they have quietly been getting the job done. Ryan Nassib is moving up the big boards in the NFL Draft and his 24 touchdowns with 9 interceptions makes him extremely dangerous for a porous Mountaineers Defense.
Nassib and the Offense are averaging 300 yards per game on the season and the Quarter Back has been well protected behind his Offensive Line which should give him the time needed to dissect this Defense. West Virginia are allowing 327 yards per game through the air and have struggled to turn the ball over so I expect Marcus Sales and Alec Lemon to find room to improve their numbers.
West Virginia have been stouter against the run as they are allowing just 3.5 yards per carry on the season, but a lot of that could be down to the fact that teams need to score points to keep up with their Offense and the fact that pass Defense has really struggled.
Head to Head
Syracuse won their last 2 games against West Virginia, snapping an 8 game losing run in the series.
They beat the Mountaineers by 26 points last season in a Friday night game despite being set as the 14 point underdog.
Prediction
I really think the Syracuse Offense has been under-rated coming into this game and all the attention is on the trio for West Virginia that could all be playing in the NFL next season.
I don't know whether that will have a mental effect on the players as no one wants to get an injury that could potentially ruin getting to the next level.
On the field, I think both teams are able to move the chains in this one at will, but there could be some mental baggage for Geno Smith after his previous 2 appearances against Syracuse. I also think the team with the ball last will have a chance to win the game so getting more than a field goal on Syracuse looks like it could be enough to cover the spread.
The Pick :
Syracuse Orange 38-35 West Virginia
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back the Syracuse Orange + 3.5 Points @ 1.95
