The struggling Syracuse Orange will look to enjoy some home cooking when they host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday afternoon.
While Syracuse has not been impressive by any stretch, they’ve been solid at home and that’s one of the reasons I’m taking the Orange to pick up the win in my Wake Forest vs. Syracuse predictions below.
For more reasons to back the Orange, keep reading my free college basketball picks for Tuesday, December 31.
Wake Forest vs Syracuse prediction
My best bet
Syracuse moneyline (+110 at bet365)
My analysis
This game pits two underperforming ACC programs against each other in a battle of opposed styles of play.
Wake Forest has jumped out to a 9-4 record this season, but the Demon Deacons haven’t been impressive — or particularly entertaining — while they’ve been winning games. Most of their wins have come against far lesser competition, while they have gone just 2-4 in their last six outings against major conference opposition, including a 0-3 record on the road in those games.
What’s most concerning for Wake Forest fans is how tepid the team’s offense has looked anytime it faces decent competition. The Demon Deacons are averaging 67.5 ppg, one of the lowest numbers in all of Division 1 basketball. They don’t shoot well from the field (42.8%), are particularly bad from three-point range (26.5%), and even accounting for their pace of play and decent strength of schedule, KenPom.com rates them 189th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency.
That makes Wake Forest exactly the type of team Syracuse wants to welcome for a visit. At just 6-6, the Orange have been struggling to compete, mainly because they’ve had trouble stopping anyone with any offensive talent from scoring the ball. Syracuse is allowing a horrendous 78.8 ppg, with opponents shooting 45.6% from the field against the Orange.
However, Syracuse has been able to play reasonable defense against teams that don’t push the pace or have the kinds of scorers that can take over the game. The Orange held the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to just 69 points, and the Texas Longhorns to 70, and saw their defense show up in a 75-63 win over the Bucknell Bison on Saturday.
I’d expect similar success against a Wake Forest team that has been held to 60 points or less in four of its last nine games. Meanwhile, the Syracuse offense has the weapons to challenge a solid Demon Deacons defense, which has managed to hold opponents to 64.9 ppg this year.
However, we have to account for Wake Forest’s slow pace of play when considering how that number stacks up against the Orange, who are reasonably efficient on offense. Even with JJ Starling (19.8 ppg) out with a broken hand, Syracuse has averaged 73.7 ppg over its last six outings.
These teams would be very evenly matched on a neutral court, and Syracuse is 6-1 at home this season, while Wake Forest is 0-3 on the road. In a matchup that’s likely to hide the Orange’s biggest flaws, I’m taking Syracuse to win outright at home as a slight underdog.
Wake Forest vs Syracuse same-game parlay
Syracuse moneyline
Over 144
While I love betting on Syracuse as an underdog to win this contest, I think that scenario only plays out in a particular style of game. Namely, we need the Orange to score points while their defense does just enough to slow down a sluggish Wake Forest offense.
That’s why I’m combining Syracuse on the moneyline with the Over for my SGP. While there’s no inherent correlation between these two bets, I think the reality of these teams means that the Orange are much more likely to win if the Over hits, presenting us with some great value when rolling these bets into a parlay.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Wake Forest vs Syracuse odds
Wake Forest vs Syracuse live odds
Wake Forest vs Syracuse opening odds
- Spread: Wake Forest -2 | Syracuse +2
- Moneyline: Wake Forest -133 | Syracuse +114
- Over/Under: Over 145 | Under 145
Odds courtesy of bet365
Wake Forest vs Syracuse betting trend to know
Wake Forest is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for Wake Forest vs. Syracuse.
How to watch Wake Forest vs Syracuse
| Location: | JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Date: | Tuesday, 12-31-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN2 |
Wake Forest vs Syracuse key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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