Stanford will kick off its first ACC matchup on Friday night in upstate New York against the Syracuse Orange. The Cardinal will enter 1-1 following a blowout win over Cal Poly. Syracuse comes in 2-0 and 1-0 in conference play with a big ACC win over Georgia Tech.
With the ACC seemingly wide open, this is an essential weekend for both squads that want to make noise in the conference. Stanford looks to assert itself as a threat in the ACC, while Syracuse has conference-title aspirations.
Stanford vs. Syracuse Betting and DFS Preview
All Stanford vs. Syracuse odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Monday, Sept. 16.
- Spread
Syracuse -9.5 - Moneyline
Stanford +255, Syracuse -330 - Over/Under
57.5 - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
JMA Wireless Dome| Syracuse, NY - How to Watch
ESPN
There hasn’t been much movement on the spread in this one. The Orange opened as 10.5-point favorites, but the number has crossed a key number, now sitting at -9.5. The moneyline has experienced the same minimal movement as the spread, which has gone from Syracuse -345 moneyline favorites to -330.
The total has jumped a bit as the Stanford offense continues to surprise people in 2024. It initially opened at 55.5 and climbed to 57.5. There is a chance this number will continue to climb before kickoff on Friday.
Both teams enter this contest 1-1 against the spread and have gone 1-1 on the total.
Top DFS and Fantasy Plays
- QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
- QB Ashton Daniels, Stanford
- RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
- RB Micah Ford, Stanford
- RB Sedrick Irvin, Stanford
- WR Ismael Cisse, Stanford
- WR Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse
- WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
- WR Trebor Pena, Syracuse
Kyle McCord has been a revelation for Syracuse in 2024. The Ohio State transfer was essentially cast aside from the Buckeyes by Ryan Day, and Syracuse is sure glad they landed him. In two games, McCord has thrown for 735 yards and eight touchdowns with just one interception. He was surgical in a big ACC win over Georgia Tech, finishing 32/46 for 381 yards and four scores. He deserves serious DFS consideration in this one.
Two targets have emerged for the Orange as McCord’s favorites, Oronde Gadsen and Trebor Pena. Both have put up big numbers in the early going in the Syracuse passing game. Gadsen has logged 13 catches for 201 yards and three scores, while Pena has added 12 catches for 166 yards and four touchdowns for ‘Cuse.
Both should be considered legitimate DFS receiving options on Friday night.
On the other side, Ashton Daniels has been a Mr. Do-It-All for the Cardinal. Daniels is the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 118 yards on the season and has thrown for another 384. If the Cardinal are going to stay in this game, Daniels will have to go off.
Prediction for Stanford vs. Syracuse
Stanford surprised some folks in its opening game of the 2024 season. It battled a solid TCU squad, eventually falling 34-27 at home. The Cardinal offense then came out and hung 41 on a sluggish Cal Poly team, a game in which Stanford failed to cover the 35-point spread.
Ashton Daniels has been excellent, but I’m not sure he has enough help in this one. Syracuse held Georgia Tech star running back Jamal Haynes to just 35 yards on 11 carries in its upset win over the Yellow Jackets.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
After Daniels, the Cardinal don’t feature a player with more than 55 yards rushing on the season. That’s a lot to ask from Daniels. I don’t believe Stanford can throw the ball all over the field on Friday night.
So, if the Cardinal can’t establish a run game, it will be tough to control the ball and time of possession. Stanford may abandon the run game if McCord and the Syracuse offense strike early. And as Syracuse’s secondary continues to improve, that doesn’t bode well for the Cardinal.
I’m buying McCord and this Orange offense. They will overwhelm Stanford and dictate the pace all night on Friday.
The Prediction: Syracuse 38, Stanford 17
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.