Friday Night ESPN College Football West Virginia @ Syracuse Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Week 8 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 8 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: West Virginia Mountaineers @ Syracuse Orange 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ESPN 10/21/11: The best team in the Big East will get a chance to show its stuff in front of a national audience Friday night when the 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) go on the road to face the Syracuse Orange (4-2). While a loss to LSU earlier in the year ended the Mountaineers’ title hopes, West Virginia still has its eyes on a conference title and a BCS bowl appearance. Meanwhile, the Orange will look to play the role of spoiler for the second year in a row after upsetting the Mountaineers last season, ultimately costing them a shot at the Big East crown. Despite last year’s surprise victory, West Virginia enters this matchup as a 14-point favorite.

Having quarterback Geno Smith under center is a big part of the reason that the Mountaineers are favored. Few would argue that he is the best signal caller in the conference, and he is currently fifth in the country in passing yards. Smith has already tossed 16 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions, and he lit up the highly-touted LSY defense for 463 yards, albeit in a loss. Not to mention the fact that he opened Big East play with a 450-yard, four-touchdown performance against defending conference champion Connecticut.

Syracuse could very well be in for a similar gashing Friday night. After all, Syracuse’s defense has been average at best as a unit, and the Mountaineers are averaging more than 40 points and 500 yards a game this season. More importantly, the Orange is among the 10 worst teams in the nation at stopping the pass, giving up nearly 300 yards a game through the air. Injuries have played a part in the struggles, but even at full strength, the Syracuse secondary doesn’t match up well with Smith and the West Virginia and its high-powered passing attack.

Although the Orange did hold Smith and company to just 16 points in last year’s win, a repeat performance seems unlikely given Syracuse’s defensive woes. It is going to take some points to win Friday night, and that hasn’t been a strength for the Orange. Syracuse ranks in the bottom half of the country in terms of points scored at under 27 per game, and the rushing attack ranks 100th nationally. Unless running back Antwon Bailey has a breakout game, the Orange won’t be able to slow the pace of the game on the ground, and attempting to keep pace with Smith and the Mountaineers on offense plays right into the hands of West Virginia.

The X-factor in Friday’s meeting could be West Virginia running back Dustin Garrison. The freshman came out of nowhere with 291 yards against Bowling Green, and he looked solid against the Huskies in conference play. The Mountaineers have been one-dimensional on offense for the most part, and while it hasn’t slowed them down yet, it is a possible flaw to exploit. That changes if Garrison can be effective on the ground, making Smith and the spread attack even more dangerous.

Even with last year’s upset on their side, Syracuse appears to be outmanned this time around. Smith has taken his game to another level, and the West Virginia offense should take full advantage of a porous Orange secondary. Syracuse just doesn’t have the firepower on offense to match the Mountaineers point for point, and West Virginia should be able to pull away for a comfortable win in the second half.

Prediction: West Virginia Mountaineers (-14) Cover the Spread

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