After a bit of a rough start in conference play, the Irish have bounced back to take four straight against ACC counterparts, including a road victory over Duke. Notre Dame will search for a fifth consecutive win Thursday when it journeys to Syracuse to battle the Orange.
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HOW THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH CAN COVER THE SPREAD
This is not the same Notre Dame team that impressed in the NCAA Tournament last season. They’ve lost too many players for that, but nevertheless, the Irish do seem to be gaining some momentum.
In their most recent outing, the Irish destroyed Boston College, 76-49. In that game, they highlighted all that is right with their team.
Defense isn’t the strength of the Irish, but they exhibited it against the Eagles to show they can take advantage of struggling offenses and the Orange certainly don’t rank as a top-end offensive club.
Overall, they held Boston College to a 28.6 percent mark from the floor while receiving five double-digit performances on their end.
The Orange’s defense is a difficult matchup for any team, but the Irish have the strength to overcome it, shooting 49.9 percent from the floor, the seventh best percentage in the sport. Notre Dame is averaging 79.2 PPG as a whole this season.
They have the personnel to match up easily with the Orange. Inside the paint, Zach Auguste is shooting 54.1 percent and averages 10.1 RPG. He’s a real force inside while Bonzie Colson and V.J. Beachem are each averaging at least 11 PPG. Colson is shooting 57.9 percent from the floor to go along with seven RPG.
Don’t ignore the backcourt with it being the strength of this team. Demetrius Jackson, however, is questionable to play. That would be a big blow as he’s leading the team with 16.6 PPG, but Steve Vasturia is another strong guard option if needed to pick up the slack.
HOW THE SYRACUSE ORANGE CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Syracuse beat the Irish SU and ATS last season, 65-60, on the power of its defense, holding Notre Dame to just a 34.7 percent shooting mark from the floor. They also outrebounded the Fighting Irish in that game.
Once again, Syracuse’s team is all about defense and it certainly once again has the defensive wherewithal to cover the spread against the Irish again this season.
While Virginia managed to get past their defense in their last game, scoring 73, prior to that, the Orange held the potent Blue Devils to a grand total of 62 points. In their last four games, including the one against the Cavaliers, they’re allowing only 57.5 PPG.
That’s noticeably below their impressive season averaging of 64.7 PPG allowed.
Offensively, the Orange aren’t the strongest team. They rank No. 242 in college hoops with their 70.4 PPG average, but that’s still almost six points more per game than they’re surrendering.
Syracuse also has the individual players to matchup with Notre Dame. Inside, Michael Gbinije and Tyler Roberson are strong players. Gbinije leads the team in scoring with 17.4 PPG and is the team’s leader in assists with 94. Roberson, meanwhile, is the leader in rebounds with 8.9 and is shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
In the backcourt, Syracuse turns to Trevor Cooney and Malachi Richardson. Neither are the most accurate shooters, but each are averaging north of 13 PPG and can light it up from downtown when hot.
To round out this team, Tyler Lydon is the key fifth player. He’s a great outside shooter with a 43.1 percent mark behind the arc and gives the team an added threat on the glass in averaging 6.4 RPG.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Keep a close eye on the status of Jackson as the game draws closer. Jackson is an instrumental part of the Irish and without him, their chances of pulling out a road scalp take a significant hit.
Nevertheless, take the Irish to get the win on the road, extending their ACC winning streak to five. Syracuse’s defense could slow Notre Dame down, but its offense is a concern, particularly against a team that can hold weak offenses in check.
Notre Dame 71, Syracuse 66
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Syracuse Orange square off on Thursday, January 28, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at the Carrier Dome. You can watch the game live on ESPN2.
