This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Holiday Bowl Picks: Syracuse vs. Washington State
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The Holiday Bowl brings the second-ever matchup between the Orange and the Wildcats. The last time these two teams squared off was in 1979, in which Syracuse rolled to a 52-25 victory. Syracuse comes into this final bout of the year ranked 21st in the nation after ending the regular season with a record of 9-3. Washington State finished the year just outside the top 25 with a record of 8-4. The Holiday Bowl, much like many of the other non-Playoff bowl games, will have major effects from the transfer portal and opt-outs for the draft. Washington State also has a major shake-up on their coaching staff as head coach Jake Dickert and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have both moved on from the program. Below is a list of missing players from each team that may affect how this one plays out.
Transfers, Opt-Outs and Injuries
Syracuse Transfers
- CB Jayden Bellamy (Starter)
- LB Anwar Sparrow (126 snaps)
- CB Marcellus Barnes (133 snaps)
- S Jaeden Gould (92 snaps)
Syracuse Opt-Outs
As indicated by head coach Fran Brown, Syracuse is not expected to have any opt-outs, including starting quarterback Kyle McCord.
Syracuse Injuries
Starting center J'Onre Reed and starting wide receiver Umari Hatcher, both missed the regular season finale.
Washington State Transfers
- QB John Mateer (Starter)
- RB Wayshawn Parker (Starter)
- WR Kris Hutson (Starter)
- RT Fa'alili Fa'amoe (Starter)
- CB Ethan O'Connor (Starter)
- LB Taariq Al-Uqdah (Starter)
- CB Stephen Hall (Starter)
- S Adrian Wilson (Starter)
- DT Ansel Din-Mbuh (Starter)
- DT David Gusta (Starter)
- P Nick Haberer (Starter)
- S Jackson Lataimua (400 snaps)
- DL Khalil Laufau (371 snaps)
- WR Tre Shackelford (179 snaps)
- CB Jamorri Colson (132 snaps)
- CB Warren Smith (67 snaps)
Syracuse vs. Washington State Betting Odds for the Holiday Bowl
Spread: Syracuse -17.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); Washington State +18.5 (BetMGM)
Moneyline: Syracuse -950 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Washington State +700 (Caesars Sportsbook)
Total: Over 59.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Under 59.5 (ESPN Bet)
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Syracuse vs. Washington State Betting Picks for the Holiday Bowl
Syracuse had a bit of an unconventional season for their program. Unlike previous years, the defense was not a major strength of the team, rather, the offense carried them for most of the season. The Orange offense finished second in the ACC in total offense and first in passing offense. Washington State was fairly similar in that they finished the season 21st in the nation in total offense, but had a poor defense that finished in the bottom third of the nation.
Syracuse is led by senior quarterback Kyle McCord. McCord had an outstanding season as he led the nation in passing with 4,326 yards to go along with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. LeQuint Allen head-mans the Syracuse rushing attack as he put up 901 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. The Orange are anchored by a trio of pass catchers in wide receivers Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena, and tight end Oronde Gadsden. Meeks leads the way for the trio with 911 yards and seven touchdowns on 73 receptions, followed by Pena with 871 yards and seven touchdowns on 79 receptions. Closely behind is Gadsden with 860 yards and five touchdowns on 69 receptions.
Washington State was led by quarterback John Mateer, who was the team's leading passer and rusher on the season. However, Mateer has transferred to Oklahoma, leaving Zevi Eckhaus as the likely starter in this one. Eckhaus comes into this having thrown just seven passes on the season. Washington State will also be without its top running back in Wayshawn Parker who racked up 735 yards on the season. That likely leaves Leo Pulalasi to fill the role, Pulalasi had just 51 carries for 241 yards on the year. The Wildcats will, however, still have their number one target as 1,000-yard receiver Kyle Williams has run out of eligibility and was unable to follow the rest of his team to the transfer portal.
Syracuse vs. Washington State Expert Pick: Syracuse -17.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Syracuse vs. Washington State Predictions for the Holiday Bowl
Syracuse will line up with nearly their entire team, including the nation's top passer. Meanwhile, Washington State is down 11 starters to the transfer portal to go along with not having their head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and running backs coach. I just don't see how Wazzu can manage to be anywhere near competitive in this game.
