It’s been a down year for basketball in the ACC, but don’t tell that to the Virginia Cavaliers. Improving to 5-0 in conference play with a rout of Clemson, the Cavs continue their quest for another regular season league title when they host the Syracuse Orange on Monday night. Both programs have dealt with canceled and postponed games due to COVID, but the Cavs have fared better taking a five-game winning streak into the weekend. And the team known for its smothering defense has suddenly become offensive.
The ACC matchup will air live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, January 25, 2021 from John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Monday schedule.
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Syracuse had lost two straight and three of four before ending the slump with an impressive 83-57 payout over Miami on Tuesday. It helped that the starting backcourt was somewhat healthy after a bout with COVID giving the offense a boost. The Orange reached the 80-point mark for the first time in five games ending a four-game ATS slide. Overall they are 8-4 SU and 5-7 ATS but the Orange have struggled on the road going 1-3 SU and ATS. That early season upset loss to San Francisco has nearly been forgotten. The Cavs may have used that setback for inspiration since they’ve gone 8-1 since then with their only loss at the hands of No. 1 Gonzaga. The Cavs extended their winning streak to five knocking off Clemson 85-50. Overall UVA is 9-2 SU and 7-4 ATS.
Syracuse Orange
Getting Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard back in the lineup was good news for the Orange after the pair dealt with COVID-19. And while they weren’t 100 percent, they were good enough to help Cuse end a two-game losing skid by scoring 23 points each in the 83-57 rout of Miami. And the hope going forward is that the Orange can return to the form that saw them win six of their first seven games. With two of their top four leading scorers back in the lineup there’s a good chance that happens.
The team still isn’t at full strength, though. Starting center Bourama Sidibe remains on the shelf after sustaining a knee injury in the season-opener. His absence is a reason why the Orange have been losing the battle of the boards, according to Jim Boeheim. Syracuse was outrebounded 48-31 in a recent 81-75 setback to North Carolina. “He’s not ready. His knee is bothering him. I don’t envision him back anytime soon,” the coach said.
With Sidibe out Cuse is thin up front. Marek Dolezaj has gotten a bulk of the minutes, but the emergence of Jesse Edwards could ease the load. Edwards played a season-high 23 minutes against Miami with seven points, six rebounds and two steals. The elder Boeheim said Edwards was “monstrous” and “showed a lot of promise.”
Virginia Cavaliers
After blasting No. 12 Clemson 85-50 last week, the Cavs look like one of the best teams in the country. They aren’t THE best since that score was settled with a 98-75 loss to Gonzaga on Dec. 26. Since that loss, however, the Cavs have been on a roll going 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS winning every game by at least nine points. And we’ve seen the defense return to its normal stifling self.
The Cavs have won ACC titles and national championships based on their defense, but when you throw in a suddenly potent offense they become more of a threat. They scored at least 80 points in wins over Notre Dame and Clemson while not sacrificing on the defensive end. The Cavs are giving up an average of only 57 points during their five-game winning streak and are currently eighth in the nation in scoring defense.
The win over Clemson was a total team effort with five players scoring in double figures for a second straight game. And the point total was the most in a regulation ACC game in Tony Bennet’s tenure. The Cavs shot 60.7 percent from the floor and made 15 of 27 three-pointers. As a team they shoot nearly 51 percent overall while making nearly 40 percent of their threes. “When you combine the defense with that kind of shooting, it came together nicely,” Bennett said after the Clemson game.
Syracuse at Virginia Prediction
The Cavs are playing their best basketball of the season right now, which isn’t good for Syracuse. The Orange are still dealing with the effects of a recent COVID shutdown and with their backcourt not 100 percent I expect UVA to come up big. It’s hard enough trying to score against Virginia at full strength. They may not shoot the lights out like they did against Clemson, but the Cavs can win games on defense, and this is one of them.
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