If the Syracuse Orange are going to return to the NCAA Tournament this season, they need to win games like the one on Monday. Syracuse is currently 4-5 in ACC play and squarely on the bubble. The Orange have a nice win over Virginia Tech, but keep losing winnable games.
The Louisville Cardinals are in a much better spot. Louisville has wins over Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Florida State, and close road losses to Clemson and Miami. The Cardinals are likely to get in, but need to keep up the pressure.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, February 5, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The game will be televised live on ESPN. 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
Syracuse has been led by its defense this season. The Orange are allowing opponents to score just 62.8 PPG and have been one of the most effective defenses in the country. That has been good for the under, and the under is 12-8 in Syracuse games this season.
However, the offense has let this team down. Syracuse has been held to 61 points or less seven times this season and that has doomed the Orange against the number. Syracuse is 8-12 ATS overall this year.
The Cardinals have been performing very well against the number in conference play. Louisville is currently 7-1-1 ATS in ACC action, and the one loss was by a total of two points.
Unlike Syracuse, Louisville has been just fine on the offensive end. That has been good for over bettors as the over is 11-7-2 in Cardinals games this season.
Key Stat
The Orange have not been able to generate much offense this season. As a whole, this team is shooting just 42.3 percent from the floor, and that has been too much to overcome against quality opponents.
Although Syracuse has two big men that are hitting a good percentage of their shots, they have a hard time creating on their own. Those opportunities have been few and far between, and many of their possessions have ended in contested shots for either Tyus Battle, Frank Howard, or Oshae Brissett. Those three are combining to average less than 40 percent from the floor and are hitting under a third of their threes.
It’s going to be even harder for Syracuse to get off quality shots in this one. Louisville has one of the best defenses in the nation. The Cardinals are allowing opponents to hit just 39.5 percent from the floor and will make life hard on Battle, Howard, and Brissett.
Matchup to Watch
There’s no secret to how Syracuse will defend against Louisville. The Orange will get in their standard 2-3 zone, pack the paint, and force the Cardinals to hit their jumpers.
Syracuse has had a good deal of success with that this year, and the Orange might be able to limit the Cardinals this way. Louisville is not a good three-point shooting team, hitting under 35 percent of their threes this season. The Cardinals prefer to get the ball into the paint and rely on their athletic big men, but the Orange will do their best to limit that.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Louisville has been fantastic at home this year. The Cardinals have defeated five straight opponents by at least eight points and have beaten some good teams in that timeframe too.
As for Syracuse, the Orange have not shown they can beat a decent opponent on the road. Their two road wins were in overtime against Georgetown and over lowly Pitt by five.
The Cardinals are likely to be medium favorites in this one. Count on them to carry the day at home.
College Basketball Odds: Louisville 69, Syracuse 60
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