The No.10-seeded Syracuse Orange take on the No.15-seeded Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Scottrade Center. The game begins at 6:10 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 20 and will air on TNT.
The Orange had no trouble getting past Dayton 70-51 in the First Round. With 10 points and 18 rebounds, Tyler Roberson recorded his seventh double-double this season. The Blue Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a 90-81 win over Michigan State in the First Round. Giddy Potts played well, posting 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
Reggie Upshaw has upped his play over the last five games for the Blue Raiders, averaging 19.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Syracuse ranks 28th in the nation in defensive efficiency (99.9), while Middle Tennessee is 26th (99.5). Also, the Blue Raiders commit the 25th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 17.5%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Orange causes the 10th-most (opponents’ TO% of 20.6%).
The Orange enter the game with records of 20-13 Straight Up (SU) and 17-15 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Orange have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 22nd in the country with a .411 opponent field-goal percentage.
On the other side, the Blue Raiders have 25-9 SU and 17-16-1 ATS records. Middle Tennessee’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .430 from the field.
This game will be the first meeting for Syracuse and Middle Tennessee in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Syr, ATS Winner – Syr
Notes
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have a defensive rating of 99.5 (ranked 26th), while the Syracuse Orange have an offensive rating of 107.8 (ranked 122nd).
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders average 68.6 possessions per game and 1.068 points per possession. The Syracuse Orange earn fewer possessions with 65.1, but they score more points with 1.078.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders average an effective field goal percentage of 52.3% this season. The Syracuse Orange have an underachieving record of 2-9 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.3% or greater.
The Syracuse Orange average 24.0 three point attempts per game and are 16-11 when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders average 20.0 attempts and have a winning record (13-6) when attempting 20 or more.
The Syracuse Orange average 8.1 steals per game, ranked 20th in the nation. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have a 6-4 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
