The Syracuse Orange (18-8) head to Louisville to take on the No. 18-ranked Cardinals (19-6) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Cardinals are hoping for a better outcome after their 71-66 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Quentin Snider had a good outing for Louisville, contributing 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds. The Orange, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-61 win over Boston College on Sunday. Michael Gbinije stood out for Syracuse, recording 17 points, four assists, and three steals.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Louisville ranks 291st in the nation in possessions per game (66.9 possessions per game), while Syracuse is 339th (64.8).
The Cardinals come into this game 19-6 Straight Up (SU) and 10-11 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Louisville has some room to improve after their below-average performances recently. In the last 10 games, Louisville has only averaged 71.6 points per game compared to the 77.9 they’ve averaged on the season. Louisville has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 39.8 rebounds per game. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Louisville’s stingy defense. The Cardinals are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 60.8 points per game. Louisville’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Cardinals allow a .381 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
In the other locker room, the Orange head into the game with records of 13-12 ATS and 18-8 SU.
Louisville and Syracuse meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Syracuse won the last game in the matchup, but the win was not enough to overtake Louisville in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Cardinals also have the advantage ATS. Louisville held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five games, while Syracuse wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Lou, ATS Winner – Lou
Notes
“Louisville is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games “.
“Louisville is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisville’s last 5 games “.
“Louisville is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Louisville is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisville’s last 6 games at home”.
“Louisville is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Syracuse”.
“Louisville is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Syracuse”.
“Louisville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Syracuse”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisville’s last 6 games when playing Syracuse”.
“Louisville is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Syracuse”.
“Louisville is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Syracuse”.
Louisville and Syracuse hold winning records against the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. The Louisville Cardinals sit at 8-4 SU and the Syracuse Orange have an 8-5 record.
Syracuse scores an average of just 71.1 points per game (ranked 176th). Louisville ranks seventh in points allowed, giving up 60.8 points per game.
Syracuse scores just 68.6 points per away game (ranked 157th). Louisville ranks second in points allowed at home, giving up 55.2 points.
The Louisville Cardinals have the best defense in the country, giving up just 91.3 points per 100 possessions. The Syracuse Orange rank 87th in offense, scoring 109.7 points in the same number of possessions.
The Louisville Cardinals average a field goal percentage of 47.8% this season. The Syracuse Orange have an underachieving record of 1-5 when opponents have a FG% of 47.8% or greater.
The Louisville Cardinals rank higher based on their field goal percentage (28th) than their effective field goal percentage (65th). The Syracuse Orange rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (174th) than their field goal percentage (252nd).
Syracuse ranks 100th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.18. Louisville is ranked lower at 131st with an A/TO of 1.12.
Louisville, the 40th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.8 rebounds per game. Syracuse does worse, ranked 150th with 36.8.
The Syracuse Orange rank 51st in offensive rebounds. The Louisville Cardinals rank 148th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Louisville forces a turnover rate of 21.8%. When Syracuse turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 5-1 record.
