Syracuse the new No. 1 in NCAA
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – With Arizona falling to Cal over the weekend and Syracuse beating Duke, the Orange are the new No. 1 in college basketball.
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ESPN.com has released the latest college basketball rankings and as expected, Syracuse has taken over the No. 1 spot following its win over Duke on Saturday, coupled with previous top-ranked Arizona losing to Cal. Despite their 91-89 overtime win, the Orange failed to cover as a 4.5-point favorite while the Wildcats lost outright 60-58 to the Golden Bears as a 4.5-point favorite.
The new top five in college basketball now looks like this: 1. Syracuse, 2. Arizona, 3. Florida, 4. Wichita State, 5. San Diego State. The Wildcats are now 21-1 straight up on the year and 13-8 against the spread, while the Gators are 19-2 straight up and 8-6-3 in all lined games. The Shockers, meanwhile, are 23-0 on the year and a healthy 14-5-1 against the spread, while the Aztecs are 19-1 straight up and 10-7 against the number in all lined games.
As for the Orange, they’re a perfect 21-0 this season and a solid 11-5-1 against the spread, including 6-4-1 ATS at home and 5-1 ATS on the road. But it’ll be interesting to see how they fare tonight as a 12-point home favorite versus an average Notre Dame squad. Coming off the emotional win against Duke just two nights ago, this is a prime letdown spot for Syracuse, especially if Jim Boeheim’s players start to read their own press clippings. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Orange are 12.5-point favorites versus the Irish tonight. (Check out a free pick of this matchup from ATS Consultants.)
The rest of the top 10 is comprised of Villanova, Cincinnati, Kansas, Michigan State and Michigan in that order. The Bearcats upset Louisville last week before holding on for a win against South Florida on Sunday, while the Spartans were beaten 64-60 by Georgetown over the weekend and the Wolverines were thumped 63-52 by Indiana on Sunday as a 3-point favorite.
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