The Syracuse Orange is right on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, and every win down the stretch will be a huge boost. Syracuse can take a huge step toward clinching a berth with a win next time out, but it will be quite the challenge on the road against the Duke Blue Devils.
Syracuse will undoubtedly be a huge underdog in this one as it is the inferior team and has to hit the road for this contest. The Blue Devils are aiming for a top seed in March Madness so this game is important for each side.
Duke is playing well and has the look of a national title contender once again.
At 6 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Syracuse is 18-10 straight up and 12-14 against the spread. The Orange has covered in half of its eight road games this season. Syracuse is 4-4 against the spread as the underdog.
Duke is 22-5 straight up and 16-10 against the spread. The Blue Devils have covered in seven of their 12 home games this season. Duke is 15-9 against the spread as the favorite.
Key Stat
63.4. That’s the number of points per game Syracuse allows, which is one of the strongest marks in college basketball. The Orange has used a 2-3 zone for years and it can sometimes make it tough for opponents who are used to facing off against man-to-man defenses.
It will be interesting to see how it does against a high-powered Duke team. The Blue Devils are averaging 87.4 points per game, which is second in the country. The team that wins this battle will have a huge leg up.
Syracuse will be a significant underdog and its best way to keep the game close will be by slowing it down and avoiding a shootout.
Injury Report
Duke forward Marvin Bagley has missed the past four games with an injury the team has termed a mild knee sprain. According to reports, he seemed to be moving around pretty well recently while warming up and could return soon.
Bagley’s presence or unavailability is a big deal and could have a significant effect on the spread. He is averaging 21.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
Bagley is expected to be one of the top picks in the NBA draft after the college season is over but certainly wants to return and help Duke make a deep tournament run. The Blue Devils still have a lot of other talented pieces, led by Grayson Allen, a shooting guard with a ton of big-game experience.
Check in before the game as Bagley’s status should be cleared up in the preceding hours before this game.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Syracuse will have sufficient motivation to try to pull the unlikely upset, and it did stay close against North Carolina last time out. The Orange, though, will be fighting an uphill battle, especially on the road.
The Blue Devils are the easy choice to win this game, but the spread is the more intriguing question. Syracuse’s defense should flummox Duke enough early on for the Orange to hang around and end up covering.
The “under” should also be considered as Duke won’t score nearly as much in this game as it has this season. While Syracuse won’t win, it will stick close enough not to hurt it too bad as March Madness quickly approaches.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Duke 75, Syracuse 66
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