Louisville fell a half-game behind Duke in the ACC standings this past week, as they now sit at 21-5 (12-3 ACC). Syracuse comes to town on Wednesday in their usual position, not near the top but a dangerous team in the middle, with a record of 14-11 (7-7 ACC). Why is Syracuse dangerous? They play a 2-3 zone defense that most teams just use as a break from man-to-man. They have long defenders on the outside, but like any zone team, they are vulnerable to sharpshooters from the outside. Louisville brings a frenzy to their game, faring well in the transition game, but they would like to get back to their winning ways. Can Syracuse pick up the road upset? Or will Louisville take care of business at home? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this ACC classic. Let’s see how the College Basketball betting odds will be for the Syracuse vs Louisville.
Syracuse vs Louisville 2020 College Basketball Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 7:00 pm ET
- Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: WGY 810 AM Syracuse / WHAS 840 AM Louisville
- Live Stream: TuneIn
- NCAAB Odds: Syracuse — / Total —
Why should you bet on Syracuse?
Syracuse was charging hard in ACC play until the last few weeks, as they have dropped four out of five. They lost at Clemson by one and then fell at home to Duke by nine. They rebounded with a win over Wake Forest but since then have lost to N.C. State at home, by five, and then at Florida State by three.
In that loss to the Seminoles, Florida State was missing star guard Devin Vassell but still ended up winning. Elijah Hughes led the Orange with 25 points, going 10 for 20 from the floor, but he missed a three as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime. He played almost the entire game in his return from a groin injury. Joe Girard put up 22 points and seven boards, but Syracuse could not get stops, and they had a hard time rebounding — another weakness of the zone, as post players don’t have a man to box out but instead are responsible for an area, which gives opponents room to slide in for offensive boards.
Why should you put your money on Louisville?
The Cardinals have lost two straight, falling at Georgia Tech by six and then becoming the latest victims of Clemson’s upset machine, losing on the road by 15 points. That pair of losses is why Louisville fell from #5 in the nation last week to #11 this week, although their membership in teh ACC likely plays a role in their not falling even further.
It did not help that Louisville only had 14 points in the first half, going 1 for 16 to end the first half. Jordan Nwora, the Cardinals’ leading scorer, had just five points with one field goal. Clemson is a lot like Syracuse, with a record hovering around .500, but their ironclad, physical defense makes them a tough matchup when opponents are not shooting well. Louisville did get as close as ten, drawing to 44-34 with 9:49 left in the second half. However, Clemson went on an 11-2 run to keep the game out of reach. Dwayne Sutton led Louisville with 18 points, but the team is in the middle of a cold streak right now, with another dangerous sleeper coming to town on Wednesday night. If you like Louisville, you see them using speed and ball movement to shred the Syracuse zone — and using their own defense to take advantage of an Orange team that really doesn’t have established scorers.
Syracuse vs Louisville Final Score Prediction
I’ve always appreciated Jim Boeheim’s old school approach to defense at Syracuse, staying with that 2-3 zone and turning an outlier into an advantage. He has had a hard time recruiting elite scorers in recent years, perhaps because of that same old school approach to the game. Louisville should win this game, but I see them having to scratch and claw to get the win as they continue to look for their shooting. Returning home to KFC Yum! Center could be the shot in the arm that the Cardinals need. I predict a final score of Louisville 70, Syracuse 66.
