| College Football Picks: Northwestern Wildcats vs Syracuse Orange |
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Friday, 29 August 2008
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It’s probably a bad thing to bad mouth a college football team before the season starts but pardon me…I’ve got to jump on the pile. It’s not an understatement to say the Syracuse Orange of the Big East Conference is a program in the dumps and their prospects for 2008 are not very good; nor does the future of fourth year head coach Greg Robinson and his staff. Robinson heads a program that has gone 7-28 in three years and was a unanimous pick to finish last in the Big East this year. In contrast, Northwestern is a program on the rise under head coach Pat Fitzgerald. In his third year, Fitzgerald has gone 11-14 overall but coached the team to a 6-6 bowl eligible record last year. Syracuse opens its season Saturday on the road against Northwestern, a program that has 19 starters returning from 2007, including eight on the offensive side of the ball. Northwestern is returning all of its key skill players from an offense that finished second in Big Ten total offense (and led all schools for the regular season). Defensively, seven starters are back, including all four starters up front. Also back this year is honorable mention All-Big Ten safety Brendan Smith. Syracuse’s 2008 starting lineup includes six players new to the first unit, and six who have made a couple of starts during their career. The offensive unit includes three with a couple of starts under their belt in tight end Mike Owen, tackle Tucker Baumbach and wide receiver Donte Davis, while defensive tackle Nick Santiago, linebacker Mike Mele and cornerback Nico Scott have also been on the field for the first snap. Scott is battling sophomore Da’Mon Merkerson for the starting role. Davis started two games in 2006. Online oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have installed Northwestern the favorite by an 11 ½-point chalk and -450 on the money line with a 56 total. Syracuse backers are getting +350 money line odds. The Pick: Northwestern -11 ½ Checkout our live College Football Point Spreads showcasing real time odds of the world's top online sportsbooks all in one easy to use location. Get line movements in real time and find out who has the best college football betting odds. Some of the best online handicappers in college football are standing by to help you get started with a successful online sports wagering experience. This link will put you in touch with all our picks-experts who we guarantee will increase your bank roll and allow you to bet with confidence.                         |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 29 August 2008 ) | ||||||
College Football Picks: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Syracuse Orange; Betting Line, Northwestern -11 1/2 (total 56); Television ESPN2; kickoff 12:05 PM ET; Ryan Stadium, Evanston, Ill.