Syracuse vs. Washington State Holiday Bowl | College Football Picks, Best Bets

The bowl season continues on December 27 with five fun matchups in a loaded Friday slate. The penultimate game on Friday features the 21st-ranked Syracuse Orange from the ACC battling the Washington State Cougars in a primetime showdown in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. The Orange are heavy favorites, riding high at 9-3 after closing the regular season with an upset of Miami. Washington State is 8-4, but head coach Jake Dickert bolted for Wake Forest, and star quarterback John Mateer has transferred to Oklahoma, so no one knows what the Cougars will bring to the party.

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We’ve got you covered with our favorite plays from Friday’s showdown.

Where to Watch Syracuse vs. Washington State

• Location: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA | Cuse-WSU Matchup Page
• Time: Friday at 8:00 pm | Where to Watch: FOX
• Spread: Syracuse (-16.5) | Moneyline: Syracuse (-780)/Washington State (+530) | Total: 59.5

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Syracuse vs. Washington State Best Bets ATS: Washington State (+17.5) and OVER 59.5

The SportsGrid model has a pair of five-star plays on the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. The Washington State Cougars are a considerable underdog, with Syracuse favored by 16.5 points. The SportsGrid model likes the Cougars to rally and keep this closer than the spread suggests, covering the large spread and losing by only 13 points. In addition, the SportsGrid model loves this game to go over the posted total of 59.5 points and reach into the 60s. If there is one thing we know about the Syracuse Orange this season, they do not play low-scoring games, and the Holiday Bowl should be no different!

Syracuse vs. Washington State Best Alt. Bets/Props

Player props are not currently offered on this game but there are some interesting alternative bets to explore. A few favorites include an alternate point total of 65.5 with the odds on the over offered at +165, both teams to score in every quarter with the “yes" being offered at +550, and both teams to score at least 30 points with the “yes" being offered at +400. Syracuse and Washington State have good skill on offense and very suspect defensive units so loading up on a high-scoring offensive game is the way to go.