The Pittsburgh Panthers (8-10, 0-5 ACC) and the Syracuse Orange (12-6, 1-4 ACC), who both like to play slow, will face off at Carrier Dome. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 16, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 126 points with Syracuse set as a 17-point favorite.
Pittsburgh Panthers at Syracuse Orange Betting Prediction
In the Panthers’ last outing, they were topped by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 69-54. Georgia Tech’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Yellow Jackets had 15 offensive rebounds and 39 total rebounds, while the Panthers had six and 20, respectively. Shamiel Stevenson led Pittsburgh in scoring with nine points on 3-for-8 shooting.
The Orange lost to the No. 23 Florida State Seminoles in their last matchup, 101-90. Florida State’s 13.4 turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Syracuse, who had a mark of 18.5. The Seminoles’ mark was better than their season average of 16.2. Tyus Battle had a solid performance for Syracuse, leading both teams in scoring with 37 points on 11-for-27 shooting.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when a pair of the NCAA’s slowest-paced teams face off. Syracuse ranks 326th in possessions per game (66.5) and Pittsburgh is 316th (66.9).
Pittsburgh holds records of 8-10 straight up (SU) and 6-7 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is known to place the total high when the Panthers are involved, as 11 of their 13 games have gone under the total.
Syracuse is 12-6 SU, but they have a difficult time covering the spread (7-9 ATS). Coinciding with Pittsburgh, games featuring the Orange also have a tendency to finish under the projected point total (56.3 percent).
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Panthers won the most recent game 80-75. The Panthers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (48.5 vs. 25.7) and had a better free throw rate (0.364 vs. 0.283).
Pittsburgh Panthers at Syracuse Orange Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Syracuse, ATS Winner – Syracuse, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Pittsburgh is 3-3 ATS with 5 unders and 1 over.
At home, Syracuse is 4-6 ATS with 8 unders and 2 overs.
Syracuse ranks 23rd in rebounds per game (40.3) while Pittsburgh ranks 226th (33.4).
The Orange rank 22nd in steals per game (8.3) while the Panthers rank 198th (4.6).
Pittsburgh ranks 97th in three pointers attempted per game (23.4) while Syracuse ranks 238th (18.1).
The Orange average 6.1 blocks per game, which ranks ninth in the NCAA. The Panthers rank 111th in blocks allowed per game (3.8).
Pittsburgh ranks 163rd in assists per game (13.2) while Syracuse ranks 232nd (11.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Syracuse is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Panthers’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 20.8, up from 4.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Orange have scored an average of 67.0 points per game (3.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.8 points per game (5.1 above their season average).
