Syracuse vs Virginia Odds, Pick
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -105 | 128.5 -115o / -105u | +450 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -115 | 128.5 -115o / -105u | -750 |
Opposite styles collide here as Virginia hosts Syracuse with ACC play getting underway.
We've seen both teams play well when at their best and extremely poorly at their worst.
Virginia will look to slow things down and grind the Orange's offense to a pulp. Meanwhile, Syracuse will try to speed things up and get some easy baskets in transition.
In the first year without Jim Boeheim, the Syracuse program has a new look and feel. Gone is the every-possession 2-3 zone, and in steps a talented guard duo led by Judah Mintz and JJ Starling.
The rest of the roster leaves a lot to be desired, and Syracuse got a pretty big wake-up call in the Maui Invitational, losing two games in blowout fashion.
Outside of one horrid performance against Wisconsin, Virginia has looked like the Virginia of old under Tony Bennett. Elite defense, patience offensively and timely shooting are the recipe for success.
The Cavaliers enter this one with six wins through seven games, and they're the sizable favorites to win this game.
Syracuse Orange
There's no shortage of explosive talent in the Syracuse backcourt. Mintz will be an NBA player as soon as next summer, and he's coming off of his best game of the young season, scoring 33 points to carry Syracuse to a victory over LSU.
Alongside him in the backcourt is Starling, the former five-star recruit who transferred in to Syracuse this past offseason. Starling is shooting just 1-of-18 from 3-point range, and while he's a good facilitator to pair with Mintz, the offense will be one-dimensional until the ex-Notre Dame guard can start hitting shots. Defenses are able to just key in on Mintz.
Inside, the Orange have some major issues. They don't have any significant threats offensively in the frontcourt, and they get beat up on the boards on both ends.
Nothing will come easy for the Syracuse offense in this game, and it needs a stellar performance from Mintz to pull the upset or earn the cover.
Virginia Cavaliers
While Syracuse will look to run to beat the Virginia half-court defense, the Cavs will slow things down to an excruciating pace. Teams must have extreme patience to survive against Virginia's defense, which ranks sixth in the country Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.
Virginia re-tooled its roster this offseason after the loss of Kihei Clark. Andrew Rohde, Ryan Dunn and Isaac McKneely have all stepped into big roles for Virginia. Alongside Reece Beekman, Bennett has a smart, unselfish team that can make shots from outside when needed.
Unlike Syracuse, Virginia has taken care of business against some of the best teams it has faced. The Cavs defeated Florida on a neutral floor in the first week of the season, then knocked off a talented Texas A&M squad, 59-47, at home.
They should be able to survive this one barring a special performance from Mintz.
Syracuse vs. Virginia
Betting Pick & Prediction
Given the results so far this season, we have no reason to expect Syracuse to play well against a quality opponent.
When things don't go well, the Orange get frustrated quickly.
It's unlikely that the Orange have the maturity or the interior scoring to hang in this game.
Take Virginia to cover.
Pick: Virginia -8.5
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