The Syracuse Orange will try to improve their postseason hopes with another ACC win when they host the Virginia Tech Hokies tonight as slim home faves according to college basketball odds.
Syracuse has won two straight and is looking to finish the season strong and earn at least some March Madness consideration. Virginia Tech has lost two in a row to drop its conference record to 7-9 on the year.
The Hokies have arguably been the better team of these two this season, but have struggled to find any success on the road. I’ll take a look at how tonight’s matchup will play out in my free college basketball picks for Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse on February 27.
Virginia Tech vs Syracuse best odds
Virginia Tech vs Syracuse picks and predictions
Syracuse has never been anywhere near the NCAA Tournament bubble this season. Even now, the Orange are only showing up on the bottom half of projected NIT brackets despite having a shot at a 20+ win season and a winning record in a major conference.
That’s in large part due to two factors. First, Syracuse only has one signature win on its resume: an upset victory over North Carolina at home two weeks ago. Secondly, advanced metrics are very low on the Orange, as they’ve suffered several blowout losses while winning many games by just a few points. That’s why KenPom has Syracuse ranked 85th, and rates the Orange as the sixth-luckiest team in the country.
Still, it would be a mistake to underestimate what this team has accomplished, particularly at home. Syracuse has compiled a 13-2 record at the JMA Wireless Dome, including that victory over UNC. Sophomore guard Judah Mintz (18.3 points per game) has emerged as a legitimate star for the Orange, and the team has enough depth that the dismissal of former top recruit Benny Williams hasn’t slowed them at all.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has been struggling down the stretch, losing five of its last seven. The Hokies were once in the running for a March Madness bid, but those hopes are now all but extinct. The relative weakness of the ACC, an unimpressive record, and inconsistent shooting have doomed Virginia Tech’s chances at the NCAA Tournament, barring an unlikely conference tournament championship.
The Hokies have been particularly bad on the road. Virginia Tech is just 1-8 away from home this year, with the only win coming against the North Carolina State Wolfpack last month. The Hokies have lost to a lot of mediocre teams on the road, including ACC bottom feeders like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Miami Hurricanes.
Whatever we may think of the Orange, they are better than either of those teams. We also know they are capable of big wins at home, while Virginia Tech has trouble beating anyone on the road. Finally, Syracuse’s “luck” may be more about second-half letdowns making games closer than they should be, rather than fortunate results in one- or two-possession games.
My best bet: Syracuse moneyline (-120 at bet365)
Virginia Tech vs Syracuse same-game parlay
Syracuse moneyline
Over 153.5
Judah Mintz Over 18.5 points
Along with taking Syracuse to win outright at home tonight, I’m also going to take the Over for my same-game parlay. Sportsbooks have set the total at a robust 153.5 points tonight, but the truth is these teams are more than capable of going above this number. The first meeting between them went to 155 points, and both have regularly played above this total in recent games.
With that many points being scored, I’ll also peg Mintz to get Over his scoring total of 18.5 points. Mintz has hit that total in five of Syracuse’s last six home games, and if we can expect another high-scoring game tonight, this should be an easy number for him to get to against the Hokies.
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Virginia Tech vs Syracuse spread and Over/Under analysis
Syracuse opened tonight’s game as a one-point favorite. That line has moved to Syracuse -1.5 at most books, with -110 odds available on both sides of the line.
Neither team has done well against the spread this season. Virginia Tech is just 11-15-1 ATS on the year, while the Orange have been even worse, posting a 10-17 ATS record.
Both teams have pretty dramatic home/away splits, and that plays a big part in my picks tonight. Syracuse has been hard to beat at home, while Virginia Tech has just a single win on the road all season. The Hokies are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games, and are now facing an Orange team that is playing well. I’m leaning towards Syracuse on the spread, and love them on the moneyline tonight.
Tonight’s total opened at 155 points. The Over/Under has moved lower, and as of midday on Tuesday, the consensus total is now 153.5 points. Most books are playing that number straight with -110 odds on both sides of the market.
Neither team has a strong tendency against the total. The Over holds a slim 13-12-2 edge in Virginia Tech’s games, and a similar 14-12-1 mark when the Orange play.
These two teams have both been playing high-scoring basketball as of late. Syracuse has gone above tonight’s total in seven of its last 10 games, and the last meeting between these teams ended at a total of 155 points.
Virginia Tech vs Syracuse betting trend to know
Syracuse is 4-1 straight up in its last five home games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse.
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Virginia Tech vs Syracuse game info
| Location: | JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Date: | Tuesday, February 27, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN U |
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