The No. 1 Syracuse Orange have reeled off 17 wins to start the season, with their last eight notching a 6-2 spread record. Jim Boeheim’s unbeaten squad puts its streak on the line in Wednesday’s matchup against the Villanova Wildcats, who have had the 'over' cash at 7-1 in their last eight contests.
Sportsbooks opened Syracuse as a 9.5 point road favorite,
while first setting the ‘total’ at 144. Early NCAA basketball betting action on Villanova and the
‘over’ moved the numbers to nine and 145, respectively.
Orange hold off Marquette
Syracuse’ latest victory came in Saturday’s 73-66 triumph as an 11.5 point NCAA basketball odds favorite against the Marquette Golden Eagles. The Orange
opened up to a 37-19 halftime lead, while edging out Marquette in rebounds,
40-34.
Orange forward Kris Joseph notched a team-high 17 points, with
most coming from a 4-for-4 day beyond the arc. Syracuse’ bench united for
31 points and 16 boards, with sophomore Dion Waiters logging a season-high
seven assists.
The contest’s combined 139 points dipped below the sports betting ‘total’ of 148,
ending a 2-0 ‘over’ streak from the Orange’ prior pair of games. Syracuse
was held to 39.3 percent field shooting, while sinking 17-of-23 free throws.
Wildcats roar against DePaul
Villanova ended a three-game losing streak with Sunday’s 87-71 win
as a 7.5 point home favorite against the DePaul Blue Demons. The Wildcats
connected 56 percent of their field buckets, while holding DePaul’s shooting to
38.2 percent.
Wildcats guard Maalik Wayns piled in team-highs of 21 points and
eight rebounds. Wayns’ mates Ty Johnson and Markus Kennedy united for
nine assists, while bench forward JayVaughn Pinkston reached double figures for
a third straight game with 13 points.
The lopsided affair’s 158 points leaped above the ‘total’ of 152.5. Villanova outrebounded the Blue Demons, 38-20, while draining 4-of-10
buckets from three-point land.
Back the ‘over’ in Philly
Wednesday’s tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET), with ESPN2 providing
the national television coverage.
I am placing my NCAA basketball pick in favor of the 'Over', agreeing with the early
steam. Syracuse’s defense has had some home-road disparity, allowing 71
PPG in opposing gyms, while Villanova has allowed 77.2 PPG in its four Big East
Conference battles.
The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these rivals,
with the squads averaging a combined 164.4 PPG in that stretch. Last
season’s pair of duels included Joseph piling in 23 points for Syracuse in
January at the Carrier Dome, while Villanova’s Corey Stokes notched 24 points
in the Orange’ visit to Philadelphia during February.
Syracuse leads the Big East in shooting, knocking down 49.3
percent of its field buckets, including a sizable 37.3 from beyond the
arc. The Orange have exceeded these numbers in road games, hitting at
58.6 and 44.4 percent, respectively.
Villanova’s Wayns and Dominic Cheek make up two of the Big East’s
top three free-throw shooters. The duo have united to connect at 87.9
percent from the line.
The
‘over’ is 6-2 in Syracuse’ last eight games, while cashing at 4-0 in
Villanova’s last four home affairs. Look for both squads’ scoring to soar
in a high-octane battle at Wells Fargo Center.
My Pick: Back the Over