It will be a battle between Atlantic Coast opponents when the Florida State Seminoles (17-12) welcome the Syracuse Orange (19-11) to Donald L. Tucker Center. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Seminoles come into this game on a high note after dismantling Notre Dame 77-56 in their last game. Dwayne Bacon led all scorers on the team with 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Orange are coming off a 75-70 loss against North Carolina in their last game. Tyler Lydon posted 12 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Orange winning the first matchup 85-72. Michael Gbinije had a stellar game with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Seminoles are hoping to build on their records of 17-12 Straight Up (SU) and 11-16-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Seminoles have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 68.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 77.5 points per game. Florida State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 66.8 during that span, compared to its 73.3 season average.
Across the court, the Orange head into the game with records of 15-14 ATS and 19-11 SU. Syracuse is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, hitting 8.0 shots from three-point range per game. The Syracuse defense has allowed an average of 72.8 points per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 65.1. Syracuse’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents shooting only .302 from the three.
In their previous meeting this season, Syracuse beat Florida State, bumping its SU record to 3-0. Furthermore, Syracuse holds the advantage ATS with a record of 3-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Syr, ATS Winner – Syr
Notes
“Florida State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Florida State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Florida State’s last 9 games “.
“Florida State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Florida State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home”.
The Florida State Seminoles average 77.5 points per game, ranking 65th in the nation. The Syracuse Orange rank 28th in points allowed with 65.1.
In its last game, Florida State won by a margin of 21 points. Syracuse is 5-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Florida State has a 5-1 record in blowouts.
The Florida State Seminoles average 71.5 possessions and 1.085 points per possession in games this season. The Syracuse Orange average fewer possessions with 65.0, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.079.
The Florida State Seminoles average an effective field goal percentage of 51.8% this season. The Syracuse Orange have an underachieving record of 2-7 when opponents have an eFG% of 51.8% or greater.
Florida State attempts an average of 18.0 three pointers per game and Syracuse attempts 24.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Florida State Seminoles are even at 7-7 while the Syracuse Orange have a 15-10 record.
The Syracuse Orange rank 85th in offensive rebounds. The Florida State Seminoles rank 164th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Florida State forces a turnover rate of 19.3%. When Syracuse turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a dazzling 10-3 record.