Check out one of the best basketball games in the country Tuesday night as the Syracuse Orange travel to play at the Duke Blue Devils. This matchup carries a lot of significance because the Orange and Blue Devils each already have an ACC loss and can not afford to fall further behind in the ACC race if they want to be contenders for the regular season conference title.
The Blue Devils are 9-3 overall this season and have covered the spread nine times. Duke has covered in each of their victories and has not covered a single time in a loss. They have been playing their best basketball of the season, winning four straight and covering each spread.
The Orange, who are 10-3 on the year, struggled to cover the spread early in the season, failing to cover in any of their first five contests. Syracuse has turned it around, though, covering in six of their last eight games, and the offense has started to get it going, hitting the OVER total points in each of their last two.
Tonight's big game between Syracuse and Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium will tip off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN following North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh. Check out the Syracuse vs. Duke live odds, team betting news, Caesars game props, and a betting prediction for tonight's primetime ACC Conference contest.
Live odds for Syracuse vs. Duke
Check out the spread, moneyline, and total points live odds Syracuse at Duke available from the best online sportsbook apps.
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Syracuse Orange betting news
Syracuse struggled early in the season against solid competition. After starting 3-0 against weak opponents, the Orange lost two straight games to Tennessee (73-56) and Gonzaga (76-58). Syracuse has done much better since then with wins over LSU (80-57), Georgetown (80-68) and Pittsburgh (81-73).
With their patented 2-3 defense, it is no surprise the Orange are stronger on defense than offense. Their defense ranks 59th for adjusted defensive efficiency, and their offense is far behind, ranking 109th for adjusted offensive efficiency. The Orange are 44th for adjusted tempo, making them one of the fastest teams in the program's past decade.
Judah Mintz has led the way for Syracuse — he is far above the next closest scorer and averages 19.2 PPG. He ranks in the top 50 in the nation for scoring and he has the ability to go off, with six games over 20 points already this season. The Orange only have one loss when he is over 20 points, putting pressure on him to have a big game against Duke if Syracuse wants to keep it close.
Duke Blue Devils betting news
Duke's season has not been up to the Blue Devils' standard to this point, as they have taken some early season losses while favored. Back-to-back losses to Arkansas (80-75) and Georgia Tech (72-68) were the low points of the season. They have played better recently, winning four straight games, including a 78-70 win over a good Baylor team.
Duke ranks ninth overall on Kenpom, boasts the 10th-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency metric and is solid on the other side of the court, ranking 28th for adjusted defensive efficiency. They contrast Syracuse, though, as they play much slower, ranking 183rd for adjusted tempo.
Duke leans on several star players who are likely to be future NBA lottery picks. First and foremost is Kyle Filipowski, who could have been a lottery pick last season but returned to Duke in hopes of proving he could be a top-10 or even top-five caliber player in the next NBA Draft. The sophomore is off to a good start trying to accomplish those goals, as he has improved in most statistical categories.
He is averaging 18 PPG, up from 15.1 last season, and has improved his field goal percentage to 51.9%, up from 44.1%. He is not alone in providing a lot of scoring for the Blue Devils. Four other players average double figures, including Jeremy Roach (14.3 PPG), Jared McCain (11.7 PPG), Mark Mitchell (11.2 PPG) and Tyrese Proctor (10.1 PPG). The Orange will have to limit several of those players and hope that the Blue Devils don't get hot from three, as long-range shooting can be the biggest weakness of a zone defense.
Syracuse vs. Duke game props at FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the best for college basketball bettors. They have some solid value props for tonight's game at Cameron Indoor; here are a few worth considering:
- 2 or more point FGs made in first three minutes: YES (+180) / NO (-235)
- Both teams to score in the first 2 minutes: YES (-265) / NO (+200)
- 2.5 total points scored in 1st minute of the game OVER (-125) / UNDER (-106)
- 1st half correct score:
- Duke 39 - Syracuse 33 (+18000)
- Duke 38 - Syracuse 33 (+18000)
- Duke 39 - Syracuse 32 (+18000)
- Duke 39 - Syracuse 34 (+18000)
- Full game correct score:
- Duke 82 - Syracuse 67 (+23000)
- Duke 83 - Syracuse 69 (+23000)
- Duke 39 - Syracuse 70 (+23000)
- Duke 83 - Syracuse 34 (+23000)
- Duke 83 - Syracuse 68 (+23000)
Syracuse vs. Duke prediction: Blue Devils win, but Syracuse covers
Duke will not lose at home in Cameron Indoor, but as a double-digit favorite, they may have a difficult time covering against a solid Syracuse team. The Orange have played their best basketball of the season lately, and teams often have a tough time figuring out their zone defense. It could take Duke until the second half to get their offense humming, allowing Syracuse to keep the game within single digits.
Pick: Syracuse
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