Syracuse heads to Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. against Pittsburgh on ESPN, and the panel’s read is clear: the Orange are facing a tough road test.
The picks are split in the details, but not in the direction. Every voter took Pittsburgh straight up, while all four also landed on Syracuse covering in one case and failing to cover in the other three.
Brent Axe sees a game where Syracuse needs to open the playbook and get creative fast.
Pittsburgh 31, Syracuse 24
Will Syracuse cover? Yes
He described this as a “kitchen sink” game for Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, with the Orange needing to answer Pitt’s aggressive defense by throwing everything at it, including giving Amari Odom snaps in spots where a more mobile quarterback could help.
Axe said Syracuse was too cautious against Cal, and he pointed to the issues up front as part of the problem. He also praised the defense, noting Vince Kehres’ group held Cal to 259 yards and 14 points. His bottom line: Syracuse can’t afford to let another defensive stand go to waste, even if he still isn’t ready to call for an upset.
“I can’t get there to predict a victory, but I do think Syracuse will turn up the pride and intensity dial this week and give Pitt a fight.”
Chris Carlson also expects the Panthers to come out on top.
Pittsburgh 24, Syracuse 14
Will Syracuse cover? Yes
Carlson’s view centers on a simple matchup: both defenses have been strong, both teams struggle to run the ball, and that puts the burden on the quarterbacks. Pittsburgh has Mason Heintschel at home, healthy and steady, while Syracuse may be dealing with a limited Steve Angeli or turning to Amari Odom.
Javon Edmonds took the most pessimistic view of Syracuse’s offense.
Pittsburgh 31, Syracuse 13
Will Syracuse cover? No
Edmonds pointed out that Syracuse has scored exactly 13 points in each of its two games against Pitt under Fran Brown, and he doesn’t see enough evidence yet to project a different result. He cited Angeli’s three interceptions to the same player last weekend, along with four more turnover-worthy plays, and questioned whether the quarterback’s mobility will be enough to handle Pat Narduzzi’s pressure.
He also said Syracuse’s offensive line has not shown it can handle a pass rush since Kyle McCord left. In his words, Thursday “could get ugly,” and he added that Buffalo Bills fans may be flipping over to Prime Video as soon as the clock hits 8:15 p.m.
Nate Mink landed somewhere in the middle of the scoring range, but still with Pitt comfortably ahead.
Pittsburgh 30, Syracuse 17
Will Syracuse cover? No
Mink felt Syracuse controlled much of Saturday’s loss to California before a pile of self-inflicted mistakes turned the game. Still, he wasn’t convinced that experience alone will fix things in one week.
He noted that Pittsburgh has nine selections on Phil Steele’s preseason All-ACC team and is built with fourth- and fifth-year players across both lines and at tight end. Mink said the Panthers are particularly strong in the middle and at linebacker, which he sees as the edge in a game where Syracuse has to run the ball well enough to keep Pat Narduzzi’s “sharks” from sensing trouble.
The panel’s season records are now even across the board: Brent Axe, Chris Carlson, Javon Edmonds and Nate Mink are all 1-1 straight up and 1-1 against the spread.
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