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Syracuse football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Louisville in Week 11

By Zach Bigalke

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 18: Ervin Phillips #3 of the Syracuse Orange runs with the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 18: Ervin Phillips #3 of the Syracuse Orange runs with the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Syracuse football has climbed all the way to No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Can Louisville take down the Orange on Friday night?

While playing for the ACC championship might be out of reach at this point, Syracuse still has ambitions of breaking into a New Year’s Six bowl this season. The Orange, currently positioned at No. 13 in the latest installment of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings, have won three straight after an early October swoon in close losses to Clemson and Pitt.

Entering Week 11, only seven teams average more points per game than the Orange. Syracuse has been great at taking the football away, and they have also been great at protecting the ball when they are on offense. As a result, the Orange rank fifth nationally in turnover margin, a boon for an offense that churns out more than 43 points and 475 yards per game.

Their opponents in Week 11, Louisville, have suffered through a major downturn after losing former Heisman winner Lamar Jackson to the NFL. The Cardinals have cratered in 2018, and they are guaranteed to miss a bowl game for the first time since 2009 after suffering their seventh loss of the season against Clemson in the first weekend of November.

Bobby Petrino’s squad has struggled to run the ball. They have struggled to pass the ball. And the defense has faced issues trying to contain opponents. The return game has been one of the few bright spots for the Cardinals in 2018, as they rank 11th in punt return average and 28th in kickoff return average.

Is a Louisville upset actually possible when they visit the Carrier Dome in prime time? Here’s how you can watch the Friday night game between No. 13 Syracuse and Louisville:

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Date: Friday, Nov. 9
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
Venue: Carrier Dome
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

When it comes to kickoffs, Syracuse needs to do one of three things to ensure that they aren’t burned on special teams. The first option is to just take touchbacks for every kickoff where it is possible. The second is to get far better at returning kicks, a tall task on short notice. Or, third, the Orange could just keep Louisville off the scoreboard so that they have no need to field kickoffs.

There are so many things that have to swing Louisville’s way for the visitors to prevail on Friday night. Most important, however, will be keeping the chains moving. The Cardinals rank 87th in first downs converted, and they are 70th in third-down rate and 106th in fourth downs conversion percentage. To win, Louisville needs to maintain possession and play keep-away from the Orange.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Syracuse -21
Over/Under: 69

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Prediction

Eric Dungey is going to have a huge day against a Louisville defense that ranks 123rd nationally in opponent passing efficiency. The Orange will demolish the point spread, though they won’t be able to cover the total points by themselves. Bet on Syracuse and the under in this mismatch.

Final Score: Syracuse 48, Louisville 14

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