ACC foes will battle when the Syracuse Orange (13-6, 2-4 ACC) clash with the Boston College Eagles (13-7, 3-4 ACC) at Carrier Dome. Syracuse opened as a 7-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 131.5 points. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNU.
Boston College Eagles at Syracuse Orange Odds Preview
The Eagles lost to the Louisville Cardinals in their last outing, 77-69. With 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting, Jerome Robinson was the top scorer from either team. Louisville did a terrific job of converting from the free throw line (23-31; 74.2 percent). Boston College, on the other hand, held the Cardinals to an offensive rebounding percentage of 16.2 (below their season average of 32.5).
In the Orange’s last game, they topped the Pittsburgh Panthers, 59-45. With 18 points on 5-for-14 shooting, Franklin Howard was Syracuse’s leading scorer. Syracuse dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a turnover percentage of 15.1 (better than their season average of 16.6) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 22.6 (below their season average of 38.4). For those same stats, Pittsburgh was 28.6 and 14.8, respectively.
A focal point for the Syracuse offense is getting to the free throw line. The Orange rank 35th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.289), but Boston College is among the best in the NCAA at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 26th by yielding a FTA rate of 0.180).
Of Boston College’s 14 games with betting action, seven have finished over the O/U total, while 10 of Syracuse’s 17 games have finished under the O/U total. Both teams have solid straight up (SU) records (13-7 for Boston College; 13-6 for Syracuse), but the Eagles hold a slight edge against the spread (ATS). Boston College is 8-6 ATS, while the Orange are 7-10.
Steffon Mitchell has been on fire over the last five games for Boston College, averaging 11.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after splitting two games last season. The Orange won the most recent matchup 76-53. The Orange dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an absurdly low turnover percentage of 8.3 and a solid free throw rate of 0.293. The Eagles were 27.5 and 0.146, respectively, for those same stats.
Boston College Eagles vs. Syracuse Orange Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Syracuse, ATS Winner – Boston College, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Eagles rank 130th in assists per game (13.8) while the Orange rank 231st (11.3).
- Syracuse ranks 10th in blocks per game (6.0) while Boston College ranks 78th (3.9).
- On the road, Boston College is 3-4 ATS with 4 unders, 2 overs and 1 push.
- At home, Syracuse is 4-7 ATS with 9 unders and 2 overs.
- Syracuse ranks 17th in steals per game (8.4) while Boston College ranks 209th (4.6).
- The Orange rank 28th in rebounds per game (39.8) while the Eagles rank 188th in rebounds allowed per game (36.4).
- Boston College ranks 98th in three pointers attempted per game (23.6) while Syracuse ranks 250th (18.1).
Betting Trends:
- Syracuse is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Boston College is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs, 1 under and 1 push.
- The Orange have been outscored by an average of 2.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Syracuse has defeated opponents by an average of 6.4 points.
- During their last five games, the Eagles have scored an average of 75.8 points per game (0.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.2 points per game (7.5 above their season average).
