The North Carolina Tar Heels will try to snap out of their recent struggles as they visit the Syracuse Orange for an ACC showdown at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday evening.
The Orange have been tough at home, and I’m taking them to cover against a UNC squad that has been vulnerable on the road in my North Carolina vs. Syracuse predictions.
Keep reading to see my full analysis of this game as well as my favorite parlay in my free college basketball picks for Saturday, February 15.
North Carolina vs Syracuse prediction
My best bet
Syracuse +6.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Just a few weeks ago, this game would have looked very differently, as UNC looked like a tournament shoe-in. But the North Carolina Tar Heels have dropped five of their last seven games, and have particularly had trouble finding ways to win even against mediocre ACC competition on the road.
While a loss to the Duke Blue Devils is understandable, the Tar Heels looked outmatched on Monday against the Clemson Tigers, losing by 20, while they’ve also dropped what should have been tossup games at the Pittsburgh Panthers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons over the past month.
The saving grace for North Carolina is that all those teams are significantly better than Syracuse. Still, a four-game road losing streak raises plenty of questions, and the Tar Heels have struggled to play in Syracuse in recent years, even when they’ve been heavy favorites over the Orange.
Syracuse is a shell of the program it was under Jim Boeheim, but outside of an embarrassingly lopsided loss to Duke, the Orange have played reasonably well at home this season. They have recent victories in the dome over the Boston Collage Eagles and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and more broadly, have covered in six of their last eight games overall.
The Orange lack a depth of scoring options, but they can count on JJ Starling (18.6 ppg) to put up points against anyone. Center Eddie Lampkin Jr. (10.4 ppg) has also been contributing as of late, scoring in double digits in each of his last two outings. Lampkin should be a focal point of the Syracuse offense on Saturday, as North Carolina regularly runs out a small lineup. The Tar Heels are still capable of defending in the post, but there will be opportunities for Lampkin to get some easy points as well.
That matchup issue is enough for me to feel like Syracuse can at least keep this game close at home. The slide for North Carolina has gone on long enough for me to feel like this is more than just a short-term trend, and while the Tar Heels may eek out a win up north, I’m expecting the Orange to cover.
North Carolina vs Syracuse same-game parlay (SGP)
Syracuse +6.5
Over 153.5
Eddie Lampkin Jr. Over 11.5 points
Given the recent trends for these teams, I like Syracuse to hang in this one and cover the spread. Looking a little deeper, I’m also expecting this game to hit the Over. Both teams are averaging totals around tonight’s number, but with both enjoying fast-paced play, they should feed off each other and send the total well Over the 153.5 total that I’m taking for our same-game parlay.
To round out the SGP, I’ll also take Syracuse center Eddie Lampkin Jr. to hit the Over on his scoring prop of 11.5 points. Lampkin hasn’t been a consistent scorer, and he’s had some duds against teams with intimidating post presences – just see his two-point effort against Duke earlier this month. But against a small UNC lineup, Lampkin should get enough easy buckets to easily get Over his points total.
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North Carolina vs Syracuse odds
North Carolina vs Syracuse live odds
North Carolina vs Syracuse opening odds
- Spread: North Carolina -7.5 (-110) | Syracuse +7.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: North Carolina -330 | Syracuse +265
- Over/Under: Over 153. 5 (-110) | Under 153.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
North Carolina vs Syracuse betting trend to know
North Carolina is 0-6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for North Carolina vs. Syracuse.
How to watch North Carolina vs Syracuse
| Location | JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Date | Saturday, 2-15-2025 |
| Tip-off | 6:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
North Carolina vs Syracuse key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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