The No.11-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the No.10-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at the United Center. The game begins at 9:40 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 25 and can be seen on CBS.
The Orange easily got past Middle Tennessee 75-50 in the Second Round. Michael Gbinije was the game’s high scorer with 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-59 win against Utah in the Second Round. Eric McClellan led the game in scoring by recording 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
McClellan has been on a tear over the last five games for the Bulldogs, averaging 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Syracuse ranks sixth in the nation, allowing just 99.4 points per 100 possessions, while Gonzaga is first (96.4). Also, the sharp-shooting offense of the Bulldogs ranks 14th in eFG% at 55.4%, while the Orange are fourth-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (46.8%).
The Orange look to build on their records of 21-13 Straight Up (SU) and 18-15 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-2-1). The most recent ten-game stretch for the Orange has gone great. Over that span, Syracuse is averaging 77.6 points per game, well over their season average of 70.3.
As for their opponent, the Bulldogs have a record of 16-16-2 ATS and 28-7 SU. Gonzaga performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. During the last 10 games, they averaged 70.4 PPG, below their 79.4 PPG season average. Gonzaga is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, hitting .758 of their shots from the line. The Bulldogs have controlled the glass with an average of 39.7 rebounds per game, 32nd in the country. The Gonzaga defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 30th in Division I with only 65.6 points allowed per game. The Gonzaga defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .397 shooting from the field to its opponents.
This game will be the first meeting for Syracuse and Gonzaga in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Syr, ATS Winner – Syr
Notes
Gonzaga averages 79.4 points per game this season. Syracuse is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 64.8 points per game (ranked 24th).
Syracuse has allowed an average of 62.0 points per home game this season. Gonzaga averages 77.9 points per away game, ranking 18th in scoring.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 96.4. The Syracuse Orange have an offensive rating of 108.3 (ranked 116th).
Gonzaga beats Syracuse in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bulldogs average 67.6 possessions and 1.174 points per possession, while the Orange average 65.0 possessions with 1.083 points per possession.
Gonzaga has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.4% (ranked 14th in the nation). Syracuse is a losing 1-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Gonzaga ranks 90th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.21. Syracuse is ranked lower at 117th with an A/TO of 1.15.
Gonzaga, the 32nd-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 39.7 rebounds per game. Syracuse does worse, ranked 184th with 35.9.
Making 8.0 steals per game, Syracuse is ranked 22nd in the country. Gonzaga has a stellar 8-2 record when it gives up at least 8 steals.
