Boca Raton Bowl – USF vs Syracuse Free Picks
Both Syracuse and South Florida Look To Snap Bowl Win Droughts In the Boca Raton Bowl
Former Big East rivals will be meeting for the first time since 2016 when South Florida and Syracuse meet in the Boca Raton Bowl. When looking at the USF vs Syracuse free picks Syracuse opened at 5.5-point favorites, but the line has moved to three. The Moneyline has moved from -180 to -160 for the favored Orange.
South Florida won the most recent meeting 45-20 and three of the previous four matchups.
Both teams became bowl-eligible in their final regular-season games. South Florida needed to defeat Charlotte in its regular-season finale after dropping four of its previous six games. Syracuse topping Wake Forest to become bowl-eligible as well.
When looking at NCAAF scores, Toledo’s 21-19 win over Liberty on Dec. 20, 2022, marked the first time in nine Boca Raton Bowls that the game was decided by less than 10 points.
South Florida came into the season with an expected regular-season win total of just four. Win No. 5 came against Temple on Nov. 11. Syracuse fell under the predicted win total of 6.5.
Boca Raton Bowl Information
USF vs Syracuse 
Records: South Florida (6-6) vs Syracuse (6-6)
Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Day/Time: Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Plenty of Give and Take in USF Games
For those who love high-scoring games, South Florida could be the team for you.
The Bulls joined North Texas as the only teams in the American Athletic Conference to not only score more than 30 points per game but to allow at least 30 points as well.
South Florida was tied for the conference lead with 19 plays from scrimmage of 40 yards or longer, and the 10 plays of at least 50 yards was one of the best marks in the conference. Keep that in mind when it comes to the USF vs Syracuse free picks.
The Bulls allowed more plays from scrimmage of 10 yards, 20 yards, and 40 yards than any other American Athletic Conference team, as among AAC squads, only Memphis had more games landed over the total than South Florida’s seven.
Change At The Top For Syracuse
Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown has been hired as the head coach at Syracuse. However, tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will continue to serve as the interim head coach for the bowl game. When USF vs Syracuse free picks perhaps Syracuse will be motivated to win for Campanile.
It wasn’t that long ago that Dino Babers seemed to have Syracuse headed in the right direction.
It was just five years ago that Dino Babers’ Syracuse team finished second to Clemson among ACC teams in total offense. The Orange couldn’t build on that success. Syracuse had the fewest yards per game in the ACC during the 2020 season.
After Syracuse was held under 300 yards six times in seven games while going 1-6, Babers was fired.
Syracuse piled up 468 yards against Wake Forest in the first game without Babers.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader is questionable, while offensive lineman David Wohlabaugh and receiver Oronde Gadsden are out. Linebacker Leon Lowery, who is seventh on Syracuse with 46 tackles and second with 7.5 tackles for loss, has transferred to Wisconsin.
A Hard Game To Call Due to Injury to Syracuse QB
Don’t look for much in the way of players sitting out the Boca Raton Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.
There could be motivation for both teams considering the Orange is looking for its first bowl win since the 2018 Camping Bowl win over West Virginia. South Florida is playing in a bowl game for the first time since falling to Marshall in the 2018 Gasparilla Bowl and hasn’t won a bowl game since a 38-34 victory versus Texas Tech in the 2017 Birmingham Bowl.
The total has gone over in seven of the last nine games played by South Florida. There has been some movement in the total as it has gone from 57.5 to 61. Go with the game going under the total.
Syracuse has covered against the college football spread in just two of its last eight games.
South Florida has covered six of 12 games this season and Syracuse going 5-6-1 against the college football lines this season.
Syracuse has covered in both of its neutral-site games over the last four seasons, while South Florida hasn’t played a neutral-site game since 2018.
Syracuse is 4-1-1 against the spread this season when listed as the favorite. South Florida has covered in five of its seven games as an underdog.
This is a tough game to project, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Shrader. Syracuse lost both games when Shrader failed to throw a pass in 2023. In making college bowl predictions, it can be beneficial to go against the Power-5 conference so take a chance on South Florida at +140 to win outright and to cover as 3-point underdogs.
For NCAAF betting news, college bowl scores, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
