Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions
Blue Devils Try To Hang on to ACC Top Spot vs Orange
With a week to play in the ACC regular season, the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils look to take a step closer to sending coach Mike Krzyzewski out on top when they take on the Syracuse Orange on Saturday night. The Orange are trying to keep their faint NCAA hopes alive with an upset victory. Let’s take a closer look at how to bet online on this key conference clash.
Blue Devils Fighting for That Top Seed
The Duke Blue Devils enter the next-to-last weekend of the ACC regular season with a one-game lead in the conference standings over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, with the Miami Hurricanes and North Carolina Tar Heels still sitting in striking distance at two games back. Duke would like to get the top seed in the ACC tournament, which could help it to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, this is also Krzyzewski’s last trip to play the Orange in Syracuse, so there will be some sentimentality as well, which Krzyzewski always enjoys.
“Tonight was beautiful,” Krzyzewski said after being honored at Virginia prior to Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers. “It showed the brotherhood in our league and the respect that programs have for one another and that coaches have for one another. It meant a great deal to me.”
What will mean a great deal would be a win to get closer to another ACC title. To do that, Krzyzewski will look to his outstanding freshman, forward Paolo Banchero, to lead the way. Banchero is averaging 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils in both categories, and he had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the first meeting with the Orange in January.
Also key against the tough Syracuse zone defense will be the play of forward Wendell Moore Jr., who leads the Blue Devils with 4.5 assists per game. Moore went for 15 points, six rebounds, and eight assists against the Orange in their first meeting.
Orange Getting Desperate For Victories
If the Syracuse Orange wants to have a chance at making March Madness, they have their work cut out for them. Sitting at just over .500, Syracuse needs to run the table of the regular season or have a Cinderella run in the ACC tournament to get into the conversation of the NCAA Tournament Committee.
Not that coach Jim Boeheim’s bunch hasn’t made such a run before, which could help their chances with the committee. But to do so, Boeheim needs his sons to come through for him.
Guard Buddy Boeheim is leading the Orange in scoring at 19.0 points per game, which puts him among the conference leaders. Boeheim is shooting 33.3% from the 3-point line, hitting 75 shots from beyond the arc.
Older brother Jimmy Boeheim has joined Syracuse this season after transferring from Cornell. Boeheim is averaging 13.9 points but is coming off a season-best 27 points against Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Forward Cole Swider will need to have a big game on the boards for the Orange to have a chance at the upset. Swider leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game and is scoring 13.3 points as well.
Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Head-to-Head
The Duke Blue Devils took the first meeting between these conference rivals in January by 20 points in Durham, NC. It was the fifth straight win for Duke over the Syracuse Orange, the longest winning streak by the Blue Devils in the rivalry, which is reflected in the college basketball odds.
Syracuse last won at home against Duke in the 2016-17 season, upsetting the then-No. 10 Blue Devils on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Game Information
Game: Duke Blue Devils (24-4, 14-3) at Syracuse Orange (15-13, 9-8)
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Day/Time: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Betting Lines
Duke Blue Devils at Syracuse Orange Prediction
Although the Syracuse Orange are known for befuddling opponents with their zone defense, Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils have seen it all before. Duke tore apart the Syracuse defense in the first meeting this season, and it should have no trouble doing that again.
When doing your college basketball betting, take the Blue Devils to win and cover on the road.
