The Syracuse Orange are looking to bounce back from a meltdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the final game of the regular season. Jim Boeheim’s team will take on the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the ACC tournament, and both of these teams have to be feeling like they have the talent to make a run this week.
Will the Orange beat a Seminoles squad that has won three games in a row? Keep reading our Syracuse vs. Florida State college basketball picks and predictions for Wednesday, March 9 to find out.
Florida State vs Syracuse odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The line is a little all over the place in this game, as the Orange opened as 1-point favorites but we’re now seeing the Seminoles favored by that very amount. Meanwhile, in a game with two teams that have defensive-first reputations, the total opened at 147.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Florida State vs Syracuse predictions
Predictions made on 3/8/2022 at 1:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Florida State vs Syracuse game info
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
• Tip-off: 12:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Florida State at Syracuse betting preview
Injuries
Florida State: Symir Torrence G (Questionable), Benny Williams F (Out), John Bol Ajak C (Out), Jesse Edwards C (Out), Niko Ruffin G (Out).
Syracuse: Cam’Ron Fletcher G (Out), Naheem McLeod C (Out), Malik Osborne F (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 6-1 in the last seven games that Florida State has played. Find more NCAA betting trends for Florida State vs. Syracuse.
Florida State vs Syracuse picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
These teams met twice in the regular season and the road team won and covered in both of those games. Florida State is playing better at the moment, with the Seminoles coming into this game having won and covered in each of their last three. It is, however, the Orange that are the more trustworthy team when looking at who to back in this second-round matchup.
While Syracuse is just 215th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com) this year, we know that Boeheim’s patented 2-3 zone mucks up the game and makes it hard on opponents to score in tournament play. And even if the defense isn’t as impactful at it has been over the years, it helps that Florida State is just 124th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Seminoles also lack the shooting required to space the floor and make the Orange pay for late rotations.
On the offensive end, Syracuse is the 21st-ranked team in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Orange still have Buddy Boeheim and Joseph Girard III to drill shots from the outside, and that makes them a dangerous team in a tournament setting. The Seminoles also aren’t as good defensively as we’re used to seeing under Leonard Hamilton, and that could be what does them in against a potent Syracuse offense.
Prediction: Syracuse +1 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Over is 13-5 in the last 18 neutral-court games that Syracuse has played, and it’s also 4-1 in the last five games the Orange have played in general. Meanwhile, the Over is 6-1 in the last seven games that the Seminoles have played, and it’s 5-2 in the last seven games that the team has played coming off of a straight-up win.
As previously mentioned, these teams both aren’t playing their trademark brands of defense this year. And while we trust Syracuse to come up with a few extra stops in this one, that doesn’t mean that you can count on either to get enough to prevent an Over in this spot.
Look for Syracuse’s dynamite three-point shooting to really be on display in a game like this, and don’t be shocked if Boeheim ends up putting on a show. We know he’s capable of hitting from deep, and he can also hit some off-balance shots on occasion.
It should also be noted that the Over is 25-12 when Florida State has played against ACC opponents since the start of last season.
Prediction: Over 147 (-110)
Best bet
When it comes to winning games in the ACC Tournament, you can never count Syracuse out. The Orange can struggle for the majority of the regular season, but they tend to bring the worst out of their opponents when the games matter most. Look for Syracuse to smother Florida State in the most important possessions of the game and get just enough stops to let Girard and Boeheim lead them to a win on the other end of the floor.
Florida State is 7-14 against the spread when facing teams that are called for 17.0 or fewer fouls per game this season, and the Seminoles lost those games by an average of 2.9 points per game.
Florida State also has the same record against teams that commit 14.0 or fewer turnovers per game, and the Seminoles lost those games by an average of 5.4 points per game. If the Orange take care of the ball, they should be able to take this one.
Pick: Syracuse +1 (-110)
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