Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Betting Preview
Saturday evening will feature a battle of ACC rivals as the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils (24-4, 14-3 in ACC) take on the Syracuse Orange (15-13, 9-8 in ACC). The Orange will host this one at the Carrier Dome, with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 pm ET.
This will be the second time these two have matched up this season after Duke dismantled Syracuse at home, 79-59, back on January 22.
Since that time, Duke has won nine of ten, including five straight. In their last matchup, they took down Virginia 65-61 on the road.
In the win, Jeremy Roach led all Duke scorers with 15, while A.J. Griffin and Trevor Keels added 13 apiece.
For Syracuse, they have not had as much luck as of late as they have lost two of their last four. They lost 79-69 on the road in their last outing against Notre Dame.
Despite the loss, Jimmy Boeheim led all scorers with 27 points while Buddy Boeheim added 20.
Duke is the favorite in this one despite playing on the road. They are -285 to win while the Orange’s moneyline sits at +230. The spread features Syracuse +7 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 151.5.
More Odds
With the season winding down, Duke is the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC at -3000.
In terms of the National Championship, Duke has the seventh-best odds of winning it all at +1500.
By The Numbers
The Blue Devils have had one of the best offenses in the nation this season. They rank 12th in scoring averaging 79.5 points per game (74.5 on the road). Syracuse ranks 29th, averaging 77 points per game (84.7 at home).
Defensively, it is again Duke with the edge. They rank 49th in scoring defense as they are allowing opponents just 65.1 points per game. Syracuse ranks 278th, allowing 74 points per game.
Blue Devils Look To Finish Regular Season Strong
With the calendar about to flip over to March, the Duke Blue Devils know they need to be playing their best basketball to close the regular season. With that in mind, they will look to extend their winning streak to six as they take on the Syracuse Orange.
Leading the way for the Blue Devils is freshman forward Paolo Banchero. In 28 games, he is averaging 16.6 points on 46% shooting. He is also chipping in 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
He hasn’t had to do it alone, though, The Blue Devils have five players averaging double digits.
In addition to Banchero, Wendell Moore Jr (13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists), Trevor Keels (12 points, four rebounds, 3.1 assists), Mark Williams (10.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 blocks), and A.J. Griffin (10 points, 3.7 rebounds) have all had solid seasons.
Syracuse Looks To Stay Solid At Home
At 15-13 overall, it has been a bit of a mediocre season for Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange. Despite the average overall record, they have been rather good at the Carrier Dome, going 11-3 at home to this point.
Boeheim will look to his two sons, Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim, to lead the Orange to victory on Saturday. Buddy Boeheim has been Syracuse’s leading scorer to date. He is averaging 19 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Jimmy Boeheim has also had a nice season averaging 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Other major contributors for Syracuse include Cole Swider (13.3 points, seven rebounds), Joseph Girard III (13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists), and Jesse Edwards (12 points, 6.5 rebounds).
Take Syracuse To Cover At Home
While this feels like a game that Duke will likely win, it would not be shocking to see Syracuse keep this one close throughout.
While their defense has been suspect, the Syracuse Orange can put up points with the best of them behind the play of the Boeheim boys.
Additionally, the Orange have just played better all season when playing in front of their home crowd.
Whether they win or lose, there is a lot of value in taking Syracuse +7 in Saturday night’s matchup.