North Carolina vs Syracuse Odds, Picks and Predictions: Heels Hammer the Orange

The Syracuse Orange will look to improve on their last meeting with the North Carolina Tar Heels when they host UNC tonight in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

North Carolina beat Syracuse by a 103-67 margin in Chapel Hill exactly one month ago. The Tar Heels are once again favored in the college basketball odds, though 'Cuse expected to put up more of a fight at home.

While the Orange have been more competitive than expected in ACC play, there are some matchup issues that may give them trouble against the Tar Heels yet again tonight. I’ll break down tonight’s game in my free college basketball picks for North Carolina vs. Syracuse on February 13.

North Carolina vs Syracuse best odds

North Carolina vs Syracuse picks and predictions

The first meeting between these two teams was nothing short of a disaster for Syracuse. At the time, the Orange still thought they might have a chance to prove themselves in conference play and potentially put themselves in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth. 

Those hopes came to collapse after the 36-point loss to North Carolina. Five UNC players scored in double figures, and the Tar Heels outrebounded the Orange 53-30. While RJ Davis led UNC with 22 points, it was Armando Bacot who was arguably the biggest problem for Syracuse, as he scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on 6-for-8 shooting in just 17 minutes of play.

That level of dominance comes as little surprise when you consider the problems Syracuse has had all season. The Orange have struggled to compete against quality opponents on the boards, which has meant lots of easy buckets for the opposition — and very few for Syracuse. 

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis knows this, and took advantage of that problem in the first meeting between these teams. 

We talked about dominating points in the paint. As good as Syracuse is, they’re limited in the frontcourt, and so, we wanted to get the ball inside.

Syracuse is even more limited in the paint following the dismissal of forward Benny Williams, the disappointing end to a once promising stint for a five-star recruit. The Orange are now down to just four forwards on their roster, and don’t have the size to deal with the talented big men that populate the ACC.

Bacot and the Tar Heels are right near the top of that list. And while Syracuse probably won’t get blown out at home the way it did a month ago, it will still be tough for the Orange to compete for 40 minutes again North Carolina tonight.

The Tar Heels are one of the most talented teams in the nation, and are deeper and better than the Orange. Syracuse has a reasonably good record in a solid conference, but doesn’t have a single truly impressive win on the season. It's certainly never been close to competitive against a team of North Carolina’s caliber. 

Sure, the Orange will play better than they did a month ago in front of their home fans. But there’s no reason to expect this game to end up in single digits. I’m taking UNC and laying the points.

My best bet: North Carolina -8 (-108 at DraftKings)

North Carolina vs Syracuse same-game parlay

North Carolina -8

Over 157

Armando Bacot Over 15.5 points

+450 at DraftKings

North Carolina should dominate tonight’s game, which is why I’m taking it even with a fairly large point spread. I also like this game to hit the Over, even at a robust total of 157 points. These two teams play as fast as anyone in the ACC, and they combined for 170 points in their first meeting. 

Finally, let’s take Bacot to hit the Over on his scoring prop. While Bacot is only averaging 14.2 points per game, he’s a matchup nightmare for Syracuse, and scored 16 points in just 17 minutes in their last meeting. He’s also scored at least 24 points in two of his last three games. 

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

North Carolina vs Syracuse spread and Over/Under analysis

North Carolina opened tonight’s game as a 7.5-point favorite. That line is still available at some books, though most sites have moved up to a flat eight points. I was able to find -108 on UNC -8, while -110 is the best number available for Syracuse at that spread. 

Syracuse has disappointed against the spread this year, going just 8-15 ATS on the season. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are 13-10-1 ATS on the year.

The total tonight opened at 156.5 points. That number has risen slightly, with the consensus Over/Under now sitting at a flat 157 points, and some books moving up to 157.5. You can find -110 odds on either side of the total at 157, with some slight variation if you add the hook. 

Syracuse has played evenly against the total, going 11-11-1 on the Over/Under this season. The Under holds a slim 13-11 edge when the Tar Heels play this year.

North Carolina vs Syracuse betting trend to know

Syracuse is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for North Carolina vs. Syracuse.

North Carolina vs Syracuse game info

North Carolina vs Syracuse key injuries

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