Pinstripe Bowl Betting 2023 Odds, Predictions, Preview

The Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Syracuse Orange 28-20 in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl.

Check out last year's coverage here below and tune back in with us soon for the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl Odds, Picks and Predictions.

The Syracuse Orange will look to win their fifth straight bowl game on Thursday afternoon in the Big Apple. Syracuse has already won the Pinstripe Bowl twice (2010 and 2012), and Dino Babers will look to make it three for three against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

However, Minnesota is a double-digit favorite by the college football betting odds in this game.

The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl will take place on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN from Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York.

Syracuse Orange vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Prediction

The big question coming into this game is whether or not Tanner Morgan will start under center for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Morgan was medically cleared to play on Wednesday afternoon, but head coach P.J. Fleck was cagey when he was directly asked whether or not the fifth-year senior would see the field.

He sustained two concussions in the span of a few weeks, and he hasn’t seen action since early November. This offense is much more explosive through the air with Morgan under center, so it’s important to keep an eye on his status in the run-up to kickoff.

Score Prediction: Minnesota 28, Syracuse 20
Best Bet: Over 44 (-110)

Syracuse Orange vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Odds

Pinstripe Bowl Betting Resources

• Date: Thursday, December 29, 2022
• TV-Time: ESPN, 2:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Yankee Stadium
• Location: Bronx, New York
• Expert Picks

Syracuse Orange Betting Analysis

Two-time all-conference running back Sean Tucker opted out of this game in order to focus on the NFL Draft, depriving Syracuse of its most explosive weapon on offense.

The Orange received even more bad news last week when standout left tackle Matthew Bergeron opted out after receiving a very good draft grade. That will put a lot of pressure on quarterback Garrett Shrader, and we have seen him fold in these moments.

Shrader is completing 65% of his passes for 2,310 yards (8.7 YPA) with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year. He is also the leading rusher on the team with Tucker out, as Shrader ran for 415 yards (3.1 YPC) and seven touchdowns during the regular season.

The good news is that he will have his best receivers available for this game, including Oronde Gadsden II. Gadsden caught 54 passes for 891 yards and six touchdowns this season, proving to be a chip off the old block.

Syracuse ranked 50th in Defensive SP+ this season. This was one of Dino Babers’ better defenses, as they have typically struggled given how quick the offense runs. However, a sharp secondary will be much worse than we saw during the regular season due to injuries, transfers, and opt outs.

Star cornerback Garrett Williams suffered a season-ending injury in late October and is now focusing on the NFL Draft. Fellow starters in the secondary Darian Chestnut and Ja’Had Carter entered the transfer portal, so it was huge for the Orange to get Jeremiah Wilson back.

Wilson put his name in the transfer portal too but decided to come back and will now be the anchor of this unit.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Analysis

If Tanner Morgan is unable to play or is limited, then freshman Athan Kaliakmanis will see the bulk of the snaps under center for Minnesota. Kaliakmanis isn’t nearly as polished of a passer as Morgan, completing just 52% of his passes for 866 yards (8.5 YPA) with three touchdowns and four interceptions.

The freshman is a much better scrambler though, averaging 4.7 YPC, and this offense will be very RPO heavy when he is under center. The star of Minnesota’s offense is Mohamed Ibrahim. He was a First Team All-Big Ten selection after running for over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns, as Ibrahim averaged 5.2 YPC.

Minnesota leaned on the ground game even more than it had in the recent past under P.J. Fleck as Morgan and standout receiver Chris Autman-Bell both suffered major injuries. This offensive line was led by First Team All-Big Ten center John Michael Schmitz, and the guards flanking him were both Third Team All-Big Ten selections.

Minnesota ranked fifth in Defensive SP+ this season. The Golden Gophers ranked in the top five in scoring defense (13.6 PPG) and total defense (287.3 YPG) as the secondary was superb. Safety Michael Dixon and linebacker Braelen Oliver will be missed after entering the transfer portal, but every other major contributor will be taking part in the bowl game.

They should be able to limit Syracuse’s offense, as teams fare much better against the Orange when they have more than one week to prepare for his scheme.

Pinstripe Bowl History

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl began in 2010 and is held at Yankee Stadium, which is located in the Bronx, New York. The matchup currently features schools from the ACC and Big Ten. 

Underdogs have posted a 7-3 record both straight up against the spread in the first 10 years of this bowl. Total bettors have seen the 'under' go 6-4 in the first 10 installments. 

The Big Ten has won five of the last six Pinstripe Bowls and two of those matchups saw the outcome finish in overtime. In the 2019 edition, Michigan State outscored Wake Forest 7-0 in the second-half to capture a 27-21 victory from New York. Bettors on the 'over' certainly weren't happy with the result as the pair had combined for 41 points in the first 30 minutes.

Like many bowls, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl was wiped out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The game returned on Dec. 29, 2021, and Virginia Tech likely wishes the 2021 game was wiped out, too. Hit by transfer portal defections, several injuries and opt outs, a depleted Hokies team with an interim coach was no match for Maryland, losing 54-10 as the favorite and 'over' cashed. It was just the fourth time in 11 Pinstripe Bowl games that the favorite hit.