Virginia vs. Syracuse Prediction
Can No. 2 Virginia go on the road and avoid a letdown when the Cavaliers take on Syracuse tonight at 7PM ET?
863 Virginia vs. 864 Syracuse
Monday, March 4, 2019
7PM ET – Carrier Dome
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Virginia is favored on the road tonight, as the Cavaliers are getting odds of -6.5 points against the Orange. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 123 points. The public betting currently has 70 percent going on Virginia on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Cavs heating up
Virginia is coming off a 73-49 win at home over Pittsburgh on Saturday for a sixth straight victory and a fourth straight cover. The Cavaliers are 26-2 on the season, 14-2 in the ACC, 9-1 on the road, 21-7 against the spread and 16-12 with the under.
UVA has the nation’s top defense, as the Cavs allow just 54.1 points per game while limiting opponents to 37.4 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent shooting from the arc. Offensively, Virginia averages just 71.9 points per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from the arc. De’Andre Hunter is leading the team with 15.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while Kyle Guy is adding 15.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
Cuse struggling for consistency
Syracuse is coming off a 79-54 win at Wake Forest on Saturday. The Orange have won just two of their last five, but have covered the spread in three of their last four games. Syracuse is 19-10 on the season, 10-6 in the ACC, 13-5 at home, 17-12 against the spread and 18-11 with the under.
The Orange are also a strong defensive team, allowing just 64.8 points per game while holding opponents to shoot 39.2 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from the arc. Offensively, Syracuse is putting up 70.6 points per game and shooting 42.7 percent. Tyus Battle is leading the team with 17.7 points per game while Oshae Brissett is adding 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Virginia
The Cavaliers are 23-9-1 against the spread in their last 33 ACC games and 51-25-1 ATS in their last 77 road games.
Syracuse
The Orange are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 home games and 12-5 ATS in their last 17 ACC games.
Prediction:
These two are meeting for the first time this season, but Syracuse has covered the spread in four of the last five meetings with Virginia. This game is likely to be very low-scoring and will be some ugly basketball at times. Despite the recent history, I am going to go with the Cavs. They have been playing well on the road as of late and their defense is likely to really hold back this poor Syracuse offense. While UVA doesn’t score much either, the Cavs can shoot the ball pretty well. That should help against the Syracuse zone and allow them to cover.
College Basketball Prediction: Virginia -6.5