The No.1-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (29-7) face off against No.10-seeded Syracuse Orange (22-13) at the United Center for a chance to advance to the Final Four. Action starts at 6:09 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 27 and can be seen on TBS.
The Cavaliers come into this game on a high note after beating Iowa State 84-71 in the Regional Semifinals. Anthony Gill was the team’s high scorer with 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting. The Orange, meanwhile, are coming off a 63-60 win against Gonzaga in the Regional Semifinals. Tyler Roberson stood out, registering nine points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
Over the last five games, Gill has really been playing well for the Cavaliers. During that stretch, he has averaged 16.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steal.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Virginia ranks sixth in the nation, allowing just 98.2 points per 100 possessions, while Syracuse is 14th (99.4). Also, the Orange commit the 21st-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 18.6%), while the disruptive defense of the Cavaliers causes the eighth-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.1%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first matchup 84-71. In the victory, Gill led all scorers with 23 points.
The Cavaliers have gone 29-7 Straight Up (SU) and 19-15 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Cavaliers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a superb .751 from the free throw line. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Virginia, which ranks fifth at 1.60. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Cavaliers, who allow only 59.8 points per game. The Cavaliers have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 15th in the country with a .422 opponent field-goal percentage.
Across the court, Syracuse has a SU record of 22-13 and an ATS record of 19-15. Syracuse performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Syracuse defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 23rd in Division I with only 64.7 points allowed per game. The Syracuse defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 7.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Virginia beat Syracuse, moving its SU record against the Orange to 3-2. With a 3-2 record, the Cavaliers also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Syr, ATS Winner – Syr
Notes
Virginia averages 71.2 points per game, placing the team just 174th in the nation. Syracuse ranks 23rd in points allowed, giving up 64.7 points per game.
Virginia scores just 74.5 points per home game (ranked 160th). Syracuse ranks 35th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.9 points.
Syracuse won its last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Virginia is 2-3. Syracuse is 4-2 in close games this season.
The Virginia Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 98.2 (ranked sixth), while the Syracuse Orange have an offensive rating of 108.1 (ranked 119th).
The Virginia Cavaliers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking seventh in the nation with a FG% of 49.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Syracuse Orange have a losing 1-3 record.
The Virginia Cavaliers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (seventh) than their effective field goal percentage (19th). The Syracuse Orange rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (164th) than their field goal percentage (242nd).
Virginia ranks 83rd in assists, registering 14.7 per game. Syracuse performs worse at 141st with 13.8 assists per game.
Syracuse, the 65th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.4 per game. Virginia does worse, ranked 214th with 3.1.
Syracuse records 8.0 steals per game (ranked 22nd). Virginia is 3-2 when allowing at least 8 steals.
