The No.6 Syracuse Orange destroyed the North Carolina Tar Heels 81-53 on Wednesday night, and now face the No.3 Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament this Thursday evening. The last time these two met was on February 19th in a lopsided 90-66 affair that favored Chris Mack’s Cardinals. Will the Orange carry their #humpday momentum into this matchup, or with Louisville dispense with them as expected by the sportsbook?
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Betting Preview for the Syracuse Orange vs Louisville Cardinals NCAA College Basketball ACC Tournament Game on March 12 2020
Where: Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, North Carolina
When: Thursday, March 12 , 2020, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Syracuse Orange (Odds) vs. Louisville Cardinals (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Syracuse Orange (18-14 Overall / 10-10 Conference)
It was a great offensive night for Syracuse as they dismantled the North Carolina Tar Heels, with four Orange scoring in double-digits led by forward Elijah Hughes who poured in 27 points. Syracuse also smothered their opponent on defense, holding the Tar Heels well below their 72.8 ppg average en route to a 81-53 victory. With just 24-hours rest they look to bring this energy into the game against Louisville.
In their 90-66 loss (Feb. 19) to the Cardinals the Orange were outplayed in every way. They shot just 38.3% from the field, 26.9% from beyond the arc, gave up 13 turnovers to Louisville’s 10, and were out-rebounded 45-36. But that game is a distant memory while yesterday’s high-octane performance is fresh on the minds of the Jim Boeheim’s squad. But will their bodies keep up?
After a win this season, the Orange are 8-9 against the spread (ATS) and are just 7-12 ATS as the underdog, which they most certainly are against the Cards.
Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (24-7 Overall / 15-5 Conference)
Louisville seemed to forget that they average 74.1 ppg on the season when they lost to the Virginia Cavaliers in a low scoring 57-54 affair last Saturday. The 5-days rest should benefit them, even though some bettors don’t fare as well as the Cards are 3-4 ATS when they’ve had more than four days off in 2019-20. In their most recent 90-66 win over Syracuse, Louisville played like themselves and then some, hitting 46.9% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range (better than their 37.6% on the season), and 45 rebounds (better than their 38.6 average). Expect more of the same this Thursday night.
After a loss this season, Louisville is 4-2 ATS and 15-11-1 ATS as the favorite, covering 57.7 percent of the time.
Writer’s Prediction
Louisville wins, 76-68.
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