Atlanta Coast Conference foes clash when the Louisville Cardinals (11-4, 6-3 ACC) host the Syracuse Orange (12-6, 6-5) Wednesday at KFC Yum! Center. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Syracuse-Louisville college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Syracuse at Louisville: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at noon ET.
- Money line: Syracuse +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Louisville -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Syracuse +4.5 (-110) | Louisville -4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 140.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Syracuse at Louisville: Three things to know
- Louisville was a little shaky in ACC play prior to its 16-day layoff due to COVID-19 issues. The Cardinals lost three of their last five games, all vs. conference opponents, and went 2-3 ATS over those games. The Cardinals have a massive edge in rebounding as they rank 20th in rebounds per game whereas the Orange are 304th in opponent’s offensive rebounding percentage.
- The Orange have been marginally better lately, going 3-2 straight up but 1-4 ATS over their last five games. They were drubbed by at least 17 points in road losses against then-No. 6 Virginia and Clemson.
- Louisville-Syracuse is turning into an annual February ACC classic as the last seven meetings have taken place in February. The Cardinals won four of those contests including a 90-66 whooping they put on Syracuse last season as 8.5-point home favorites.
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Syracuse at Louisville: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Syracuse 71, Louisville 63
Money line (ML)
I lean SYRACUSE (+165) for a tiny wager because taking the Orange to cover the spread is a much better play. If you have a big enough bankroll then sprinkle on Syracuse’s money line.
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Against the spread (ATS)
This is a good matchup for Syracuse despite getting crushed last season by Louisville. First, the top five scorers for the Cardinals in last year’s Louisville-Syracuse game are either no longer with the program or inactive while the three top scorers for Syracuse are playing in this year’s game.
Second, Syracuse likes to get out in transition where it can get easy looks—the Orange are 26th in percentage of transition field-goal attempts—and Louisville is 199th in opponent’s effective field-goal percentage in transition.
Finally, the hallmark of Syracuse Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim’s career is his 2-3 zone and Louisville doesn’t have a style to break it. The Cardinals rank 304th in 3-point attempt rate and 263rd in 3-point percentage.
BET SYRACUSE +4.5 (-110) heavier than or instead of the money line.
Over/Under (O/U)
Both teams are bad 3-point shooting teams and have a defensive scheme that should make it difficult for their opponent to score. Also, Louisville is one of the slower-paced teams in the nation (313th in pace) and its rebounding edge will help the Cardinals play at their pace.
GIMME UNDER 140.5 (-110) for a quarter-unit.
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