The No. 11 Syracuse Orange (23-13, 9-11 ACC) challenge the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (28-7, 14-6 ACC) in the Sweet Sixteen at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The game begins at 9:37 p.m. ET on Friday, March 23, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 133 points with Duke opening as an 11.5-point favorite.
Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils Free Prediction
The Orange will be hoping for a similar outcome after narrowly defeating the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans in the Second Round, 55-53. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Syracuse’s biggest strengths. They had 31 free throw attempts, while Michigan State had 16. Syracuse rallied around Oshae Brissett, who put up 15 points and nine rebounds.
In the Second Round, the Blue Devils had no trouble getting past the No. 7 Rhode Island Rams, 87-62. The Blue Devils made 19 of their 24 free throws (79.2 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.667 (above their season average of 0.563). Marvin Bagley III led Duke in scoring with 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
This showdown pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses as Duke ranks third in offensive efficiency and Syracuse is 37th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Orange rank 19th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.300), while the Blue Devils rank third in opponents’ FTA rate (0.160).
Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils ATS Pick
Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Duke ranks seventh in assists per game (17.8) while Syracuse ranks 288th in assists allowed per game (16.1).
The Blue Devils rank 140th in three pointers attempted per game (22.2) while the Orange rank 283rd (17.8).
Duke ranks 19th in blocks per game (5.1) while Syracuse ranks 108th in blocks allowed per game (3.2).
The Blue Devils average 7.4 steals per game, which ranks 43rd in the NCAA. The Orange rank 130th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
Duke ranks fourth in rebounds per game (41.6) while Syracuse ranks 90th in rebounds allowed per game (33.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Orange’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.2, down from 3.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Blue Devils have scored an average of 81.4 points per game (3.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.4 points per game (1.9 below their season average).
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