Old ACC foes will square off on Monday night when the Maryland Terrapins take on the Syracuse Orange. Ironically enough, this will be the very first game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Both teams are undefeated heading into this game, but neither one has played a good opponent. However, the Terrapins were tested last week by a game Bucknell team that took them to the buzzer.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, November 27, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Monday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Orange are completely off everyone’s radar coming into this season. After all the issues with Jim Boeheim last season, it seems like everyone just wants to forget about Syracuse. However, Syracuse is off to a 5-0 start. The Orange are 2-2 ATS, but to no one’s surprise, the 2-3 Zone has been the key to their success. That has led to every single one of their games finishing under the total.
Maryland is 5-0 SU as well, but has only played two lined games. The Terrapins are 2-1 ATS and both games that have had totals have gone under. Unlike Syracuse who has four full days of rest before their meeting, Maryland plays St. Bonaventure at a neutral site on Black Friday so they won’t be as rested.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernando has looked very sharp this season. The freshman from Angola has looked much more seasoned than you would think of an international player and he has been the best player on the Terps after five games.
Fernando is only averaging 18 minutes a game, but he is playing a big role when he steps on the court. He has reached double figures in three of those five games and is playing a bigger role with the team every time he steps out on the court.
Young big men aren’t supposed to be able to shoot like Fernando has. He is hitting 65.8 percent of his field goals and has hit at least 50 percent in all five of his games. Additionally, he has 10 blocks in that same span of time. It’s early in the season, but the returns on Fernando so far have been very impressive.
Key Stats
The other key to success for Syracuse over the years has been the ability to rebound. While the Orange have really struggled with this lately, this season the numbers are pretty good. Syracuse is pulling down 46.6 boards per game and has a differential of over 20.
Of course their competition has not been good, but it’s still impressive to see what this team has done. Oshae Brissett is the team’s leading rebounder with 9.2 boards per game, but Paschal Chukwu and Marek Dolezai have been very good too.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
It’s good that Syracuse has so long to rest in this one, because the Orange are once again perilously shallow along their bench. Syracuse is just using eight men in its rotation and that’s a little worrisome considering it has played nothing but cupcakes. If someone like Brissett, Frank Howard, or Tyus Battle get injured, this team is in serious trouble.
Additionally, Syracuse has been really bad at shooting free throws. The Orange are sinking just 63.9 percent of their freebies from the charity stripe and numbers that poor will come back to bite this team.
That’s why I like the Terrapins on the road in this one. The Carrier Dome is a tough place to play and this is the first big game of the season, but there are just too many questions surrounding Syracuse.
College Basketball Odds: Maryland 78, Syracuse 71
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