The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers (14-1, 3-0 ACC) welcome the Syracuse Orange (12-4, 1-2 ACC) to John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers will attempt to prolong their six-game winning streak. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 115 points with Virginia opening as a 9-point favorite. Action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.
Syracuse Orange vs. Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
In the Orange’s last contest, they lost a close one to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 51-49. With 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting, Tyus Battle was the games high scorer. Notre Dame did a fantastic job of making free throws (12-16; 75.0 percent). Syracuse, meanwhile, held the Fighting Irish to an effective field goal percentage of 0.348 (below their season average of 0.564).
The Cavaliers will look to keep it rolling after defeating the No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels in their last matchup, 61-49. Virginia rallied around Devon Hall, who led the team in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting. The Cavaliers forced 19 turnovers and held the Tar Heels to an effective field goal percentage of 0.370 (below their season average of 0.528).
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Virginia (48th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.1) takes on the elite defense of Syracuse (35th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 93.7). Furthermore, the Orange are among the nations elite at getting to the line, ranking 37th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.291). The Cavaliers, meanwhile, rank 58th at keeping opponents off the charity stripe with an opponents FTA rate of 0.191.
Both of these teams have typically gone under the O/U total. Syracuse games have finished under 64.3 percent of the time, while 75.0 percent of games involving Virginia have gone under. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Cavaliers have a clear advantage. They are 14-1 SU and 9-3 ATS, while the Orange are 12-4 SU and 6-8 ATS.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Orange won the lone game last season, 66-62. The Orange dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a solid free throw rate of 0.310 and a turnover percentage of 19.1. The Cavaliers recorded marks of 0.040 and 22.3, respectively, for those same stats.
Syracuse Orange at Virginia Cavaliers ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Virginia, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Orange rank sixth in blocks per game (6.4) while the Cavaliers rank 56th (4.3).
- Virginia is 5-2 ATS at home, while Syracuse is 2-2 ATS on the road.
- The total has gone over in 3 of the Orange’s 4 road games, while 5 of the Cavaliers 7 home games have gone under.
- Virginia ranks first in assists allowed per game (8.2) while Syracuse ranks 200th (15.5).
- The Orange rank 29th in rebounds per game (40.1) while the Cavaliers rank 199th (33.8).
- Virginia ranks second in steals allowed per game (4.0) while Syracuse ranks 68th (5.9).
Betting Trends:
- Virginia is 2-1 ATS with 3 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Syracuse is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Cavaliers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.8, up from 18.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Orange have scored an average of 60.6 points per game (9.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 57.4 points per game (4.8 below their season average).
