NC State vs Syracuse Odds, Picks and Predictions: Proven Wolfpack Steal Road Win

The NC State Wolfpack will try to maintain their national Top-25 ranking on Tuesday when they head to the JMA Wireless Dome to take on the Syracuse Orange.

No. 23 NC State (20-6) is enjoying a rare moment in the spotlight, as it has spent a week in the rankings for the first time since 2019. Syracuse (15-10) has won two straight to continue an up-and-down year that sees the Orange in the middle of the ACC standings. 

College basketball odds see tonight’s game as a near tossup, with the Wolfpack’s superior talent coming up against an improving Orange team that is playing at home.

We’ll find out who has the edge in our free college basketball picks and predictions for NC State vs. Syracuse on February 14.

NC State vs Syracuse best odds

NC State vs Syracuse picks and predictions

NC State has earned its spot in the AP poll rankings. The Wolfpack have won nine of their last 11, including victories over solid ACC opponents like Miami and Wake Forest. They’ve been solid across the board, scoring 78.9 points per game in a fast-paced offense, while still keeping opponents to just 69 points a night on the other end.

There are a few question marks on this resume, however. The Wolfpack haven’t been playing a particularly tough schedule during this hot streak, with the wins over Miami and one vs. the Duke Blue Devils beginning the notable exceptions. When they’ve had to take on tough competition on the road, they’ve struggled, losing at UNC last month and to Virginia by 13 just last week.

NC State is an impressive 13-1 at home this year, but just 4-4 on the road. The Wolfpack offense has taken a notable hit away from home, averaging just 72.3 points per game on the road. However, those road losses have all come to strong teams.

When NC State has faced off against outmatched opponents, like they did when visiting the Boston College Eagles on Saturday, it has taken care of business, beating the Eagles by 30 in that contest.

That brings us to tonight’s game, when the Wolfpack will have to visit Syracuse to take on the Orange. Syracuse has been one of the more perplexing teams in the ACC this season. It is seemingly going nowhere but has shown moments of brilliance throughout the year.

At times, Joe Girard III and Judah Mintz have looked like one of the best backcourts in the conference. At others, the Syracuse offense looks completely lost, while the Orange give up way too much on the defensive end to stay in games.

Some of Syracuse’s best performances have come in close losses. The Orange have managed to hang tough and lose by five points or less to Miami, Virginia, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. Ultimately, though, Syracuse did lose all of those games. As a result, the team sits far out of NCAA tournament contention without a single true signature win on its record.

Syracuse isn’t a pushover like Boston College. The Orange might very well play above their talent level again, keeping things close down to the final minutes against a solid NC State team, but Syracuse hasn’t proven it can beat a team of this caliber yet this season, and there’s no reason to believe tonight is the night that changes.

If the Orange were getting a few points, I’d probably be on them, figuring they’d play another ranked opponent far tougher than expected, but we’re dealing with a near tossup line, where Syracuse is actually the slight favorite. I believe in the Wolfpack to win this game outright in a close battle.

My best bet: NC State moneyline (-105 at BetMGM)

NC State vs Syracuse spread analysis

The line on this game has been very tight throughout the day. Syracuse opened as a 1-point favorite, and while the spread has bounced around a bit, that’s still the most common line on the market. That said, you can find everything from Syracuse -1.5 to NC State -1 if you shop around, so be sure to find the line you want based on the side you’re backing tonight.

Syracuse has been solid against the spread this year, putting up a 14-10-1 ATS mark on the year. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack have been average against the number with a 12-12-2 ATS record.

One of the biggest reasons why the public is backing Syracuse tonight is the fact that NC State has a poor record away from home. I’ve already talked about how the Wolfpack have only struggled against elite teams on the road, and have been quite good against lesser competition even outside of their building.

It’s also worth noting that the Orange haven’t been particularly good on their home court, going just 9-5 in Syracuse this year. NC State is the better team in this matchup by somewhere on the order of five to seven points, and there’s nothing about the home/away splits of either team that should flip this game in Syracuse’s favor.

I’d be lying if I said NC State will obviously win this one in a blowout, but everything we’ve seen this year says that this is the kind of game that the Wolfpack can win, as well as the kind of game that the Orange will come up just short in. NC State is the pick here, either on the moneyline or getting a point.

NC State vs Syracuse Over/Under analysis

Oddsmakers are expecting some points to be scored in Syracuse tonight. Most sites opened the total at 149, with the consensus Over/Under drifting down just slightly to 148.5 on Tuesday morning.

Both of these teams rate a bit better offensively than they do on the defensive end of the court. Syracuse is allowing teams to shoot over their zone fairly well this season, giving up 70.3 points per game and 33.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, NC State’s high-tempo approach means they tend to play their games well in the 70s, averaging 78.9 points per night on offense.

The Wolfpack can be slowed down in extreme circumstances, with a team like Virginia — which never allows opponents to pull it out of a slog — combining with NC State for just 113 points last week. But NC State has still hit the Over with a total of more than 150 points in four of hits last six games.

Syracuse went through a similar streak to start 2023 but has calmed down a bit as of late. The Orange have only played to a total of 150 or more once in their last six games.

With the number this high, and NC State tending to suffer a bit on offense away from home, I’m inclined to take the Under here. It may back against the trend for the Wolfpack, but this should be a tight game where both teams stay engaged on defense, and that has me thinking that a total that comes up just short of the number is the best bet here.

NC State vs Syracuse betting trend to know

The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between NC State and Syracuse. Find more college basketball betting trends for NC State vs. Syracuse.

NC State vs Syracuse game info

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