The Syracuse Orange made history during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse was the first team to ever make it from the First Four to the Sweet 16, winning three tight games on its way to a rematch with the Duke Blue Devils.
Duke has not been tested through the first two weeks. The Blue Devils cruised against Iona in the NCAA Tournament First Round and easily dispatched of Rhode Island in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, March 23, 2018, at 9:55 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The game will be televised live on CBS. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game throughout March Madness.
Opening NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Duke -11.5
Syracuse +11.5
Over/Under 133.5
The Orange have been consistent during their run through the NCAA Tournament. This team likes to play low-scoring games that are decided late, and that has been the M.O. through three games. Syracuse knocked off Arizona State, TCU, and Michigan State by five points or less, and neither team broke 60 points in any of the three games. Unsurprisingly, all three went under the total.
Duke has had no problems in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are a No. 2 seed, but they were the second favorite according to the CBB Futures betting odds prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Last Meeting
Coach K and Jim Boeheim are very familiar with each other at this point. These two legendary coaches have had a number of duels over the years with the head-to-head record being surprisingly close in spite of Syracuse’s recent struggles.
Speaking of struggles, Syracuse definitely had some when these teams met in Durham earlier this year. The Orange couldn’t buy a bucket from the field. As a team, the Orange shot just 31.5 percent from the floor and their top three players went just 10-39.
However, the defense was able to lock down Duke. The Blue Devils shot 41.5 percent from the floor and went just 2-18 from beyond the arc. Syracuse was able to keep things even on the boards too.
Matchup to Watch
Syracuse has shown that even with a shallow bench, it can play great defense on short rest. The Orange held three straight opponents to 56 points or less, including two of the better offensive teams in the country in TCU and Michigan State.
The 2-3 Zone was able to shut down Duke last time these teams met, giving Syracuse some hope heading into this game. The Orange know that they are in any game where their defense is playing this well, and they want to make it as ugly as possible.
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When these teams met earlier this year, Marvin Bagley III was the difference maker. Bagley had an incredible performance, consistently punishing the 2-3 Zone even after it collapsed on them. He went 8-9 from the floor and used his size and athleticism to make things happen for Duke when no one else could.
That’s exactly what Syracuse’s defense is designed to stop. The Orange aren’t supposed to allow teams to succeed on the interior like this, but Bagley was no match for them last time. Duke fans will say that the team will shoot better from three this time too, making its task easier.
However, Syracuse is going to perform better offensively as well. The Orange were awful from the floor last time out, and while this team isn’t a great shooting squad, Duke has had its fair share of issues on the defensive side of the ball. I’m not going to call for the outright upset, but this is too many points for Duke to be laying.
NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds: Duke 67, Syracuse 61
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