Syracuse vs Clemson Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for September 20 — College Football Week 4

Scimia's prediction: Syracuse hangs tough thanks to the admirable play of QB Steve Angeli, staying within the 16.5-point spread against disappointing Clemson.

Ed Scimia - Contributor at Covers.com
Ed Scimia • Betting Analyst
Sep 20, 2025 • 09:55 ET • 4 min read
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This article contains predictions for an old game!

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Syracuse Orange vs Clemson Tigers
Photo By - Imagn Images. Syracuse QB Steve Angeli (9) squares off vs. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (2).

The Clemson Tigers have an uphill battle if they want to claw back into the Top 25, and it all starts with this afternoon's clash with the visiting Syracuse Orange.

My Syracuse vs. Clemson predictions expect the Orange to at least keep things within the massive point spread.

See why Clemson won't win in blowout fashion with my college football picks on Saturday, September 20.

Syracuse vs Clemson prediction

Syracuse vs Clemson best bet: Syracuse +16.5 (-105)

The Syracuse Orange isn’t the same team it was when the Orange went 10-3 last year. Kyle McCord immediately made the program viable at a Top 25 level, and while Steve Angeli is filling in admirably.

He leads the nation with 1,072 yards passing, and the Orange haven’t looked nearly as potent on offense, while struggling on defense; even the FCS Colgate Raiders put up 24 points against Syracuse last week.

But the Orange haven’t looked awful, and the line in this game seems to be based more on reputation than reality. The Clemson Tigers are 1-2 on the year, and their only win was an 11-point victory over Troy.

The Tigers have yet to cover in any of their three games this season. Cade Klubnik is only completing 59.1% of his passes, and Clemson is averaging 5.5 yards per play, one of the lowest marks in the FBS.

That’s not the profile of a team that will beat a conference rival by three scores. And for what it’s worth, we’ve seen the Orange play Clemson tight over the past decade, often as a significant underdog.

The Tigers will win this one, but I’m taking Syracuse to cover the number.

Syracuse vs Clemson same-game parlay

While Clemson has yet to cover in any of its three games this year, it has also hit the Under three times in a row, and I expect both trends to continue. But the Tigers will find success against a shaky Syracuse run defense, so I’m taking Adam Randall to hit the Over on his yardage total.

Syracuse vs Clemson SGP

  • Syracuse +16.5
  • Under 54.5
  • Adam Randall Over 90.5 

Our deep-ball SGP: Willy Willis!

  • The Orange will get on the board at some point in this game, and I like Yasin Willis to be the one to find the endzone on the ground.

Syracuse vs Clemson SGP

  • Syracuse +16.5
  • Under 54.5
  • Adam Randall Over 90.5 rushing yards
  • Yasin Willis anytime touchdown scorer

 

Syracuse vs Clemson game predictions

 

Syracuse vs Clemson moneyline prediction


Clemson (-850): It’s not an exciting pick, but Clemson just has too much talent to see them ever coughing up this game at home to the Orange.

Syracuse vs. Clemson Spread Prediction

Syracuse +16.5 (-105): This number is far too significant for a Clemson team that struggled to put away the Troy Trojans against a Syracuse squad that stayed within three scores of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Syracuse vs Clemson Over/Under prediction

Under 54.5 (-112): Clemson’s defense has played well, and the Tigers will likely focus on their running game against Syracuse, which will lower the number of possessions and keep the score down.

Syracuse vs Clemson odds

  • Spread: Syracuse +17.5 (-110) | Clemson -17.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Syracuse +525 | Clemson -750
  • Over/Under: Over 54.5 (-105) | Under 54.5 (-115)

Syracuse vs Clemson trend to know

Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in its last seven meetings with Clemson. Find more college football betting trends for Syracuse vs Clemson.

How to watch Syracuse vs Clemson

Location Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Date Saturday, September 20, 2025
Kickoff 12:00 p.m. ET
TV ESPN

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Syracuse vs Clemson weather

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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Ed Scimia - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Ed Scimia has been writing about the gaming industry for over 15 years. He graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in Magazine Journalism and Political Science in 2003, and has covered major gambling events like the World Series of Poker in his career. Since joining Covers in 2022, Ed has offered his sports betting analysis primarily on MLB, NFL, college football, and college basketball games, but is willing to take on any sport.

His betting strategy focuses more on finding line value based on deviations from the market rather than traditional handicapping, primarily shopping between DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics in his home state of Connecticut, though he’s not afraid to do deep game analysis to find profitable bets at any book.

Outside of gambling, Ed is an avid curler who competes in mixed doubles on the World Curling Tour and runs a popular curling YouTube channel, Chess on Ice. That experience has come in handy during the Olympics, when he has proven to be a successful curling bettor as well. 

Ed's advice to new bettors is to always open multiple sportsbook accounts and check the odds at each before placing any bet. Successful sports betting is about consistently beating the closing line value, which requires finding spots where one book is offering odds far better than the rest of the market and jumping on those opportunities.

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