Syracuse had to survive the First Four to be even included in the 64-team pool of the National Tournament, but the Orange remain standing, outliving No. 1 seeds Virginia and Xavier in this edition of the Big Dance. Can the Orange claim another big name victim? Or will Duke end Syracuse’s incredible run? Register here to wager with your pick on this big March Madness matchup.
Betting Preview for the Syracuse Orange vs Duke Blue Devils Sweet 16 College Basketball Game on March 23, 2018
Where: CenturyLink Center Omaha
When: Friday, March 23, 9:37PM
Line: Syracuse Orange (n/a) vs Duke Blue Devils (n/a)– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Syracuse Orange – March Madness 2018
While the Orange are definitely the underdogs in this match, they are not the least bit intimidated of their next opponents. For one, they are riding the momentum of their huge 55-53 win over one of the favorites to win it all in the form of Michigan State on Sunday. In addition, Syracuse has already met Duke this season, albeit in a meeting that resulted in a crushing 60-44 loss on Mar. 3. That said, beating Michigan State and TCU prior to that suggests that Syracuse’ already formidable defense just got even better. The Orange limited the Horned Frogs to only 39.6 field goal shooting percentage, while the Spartans shot a pathetic 25.8 percent from the floor. Both TCU and Michigan State are top 25 on KenPom’s offensive ratings, but were clearly disarmed by Syracuse’s defense that limited opponents to just 63.9 points per game back in the regular season.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils – March Madness 2018
Duke’s offense just keep on rolling downhill like a boulder and the last one it trampled was Rhode Island in an 87-62 win on Saturday. The Blue Devils have averaged 88 points in two games so far in the tournament and shot no worse than 53.7 percent from the field in either contests. The Blue Devils finished the regular season third in the nation with 84.9 points per game with a 56.5 effective field goal percentage. They made Syracuse taste their offense in the aforementioned meeting early this month, but the Orange also made quite an impression defensively by limiting Duke way below its season average in points. In any case, defending Duke’s array of elite offensive weapons is going to be quite a task for the Orange. Marvin Bagley III, Grayson Allen, Wendell Carter Jr., Gary Trent Jr. are capable of exploding at the same time. Duke has been so good scoring the ball that its terrific defense is getting overlooked. According to KenPom, Duke is the only team inside the top 10 of its offensive and defensive efficiency.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke avoids getting victimized by Syracuse, as it beats the Orange, 78-69.
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