Upcoming Match-ups

Syracuse vs Duke Picks and Odds

Jordan Horrobin

by Jordan Horrobin in College Basketball

Updated Feb 24, 2021 · 9:19 AM PST

Marek Dolezaj Syracuse Orange
Syracuse forward Marek Dolezaj, right, takes a shot over Duke forward Matthew Hurt during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020. Duke beat Syracuse 97-88. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
  • Duke (10-8, 8-6 ACC) battles Syracuse (13-6, 7-5 ACC) on Monday, Feb. 22, at 7pm ET
  • The Blue Devils earned a stunning upset win over #7 Virginia in their most recent game, inserting themselves into the NCAA tournament bubble conversation
  • The odds for the game, as well as matchup analysis and a pick, can be found in the article below

The Duke Blue Devils are back. Well, maybe. Entering Monday’s matchup against the Syracuse Orange (tip off at 7pm ET), bettors will have to decide which version of Duke they think will hit the court in an important ACC matchup.

Will it be the Duke team that just upset #7 Virginia at home? Or the one that has lost three-straight conference games on multiple occasions this season? Tough to say, especially since Syracuse figures to be a solid opponent, entering with three consecutive ACC wins for the first time this season.

Here’s how the odds look right now:

Duke vs Syracuse Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Duke Blue Devils -5 (-110) -220 Over 151 (-110)
Syracuse Orange +5 (-110) +184 Under 151 (-110)

Odds as of Feb. 21st at FanDuel

How They’ve Fared Recently

Jalen Johnson who?

With Saturday’s 66-65 upset win over Virginia, the Blue Devils moved to 5-0 without their star freshman, who recently opted out for the remainder of the season to deal with a foot injury and prepare for the NBA draft.

All told, Duke has cruised to a three-game win streak with double-digit defeats of NC State (72nd in KenPom) and Wake Forest (132nd). Prior to that, they lost three-straight games by a combined 10 points. Maybe Duke is better than its record suggests.

In five of their past seven games, the Blue Devils have shot better than 55 percent from inside the arc. On the season, they rank 49th in NCAA Division I in 2-pt. shooting at 53.7 percent.

Syracuse has a little win streak of its own, with a trio of single-digit victories over N.C. State, Boston College (123rd in KenPom) and Notre Dame (57th). The Orange are one of the best free throw shooting teams (79.7 percent, eighth in D-I), which can come in handy in a tight game down the stretch. They’re also top-15 in the nation in block rate and steal rate on defense.

Syracuse just doesn’t have a lot of marquee wins to point to. And in their lone matchup against Virginia this season, on Jan. 25, the Orange got embarrassed in an 81-58 loss.

ATS Analysis

Duke is 6-12 against the spread, and just 3-8 ATS at home. So much for a home court advantage. The Blue Devils have covered in their past three games — after dropping the three before that. The over has hit in five of their past six games.

Syracuse is 8-11 ATS this season, which includes a 2-5 ATS mark on the road. They covered their most recent game but have lost in four of their past six. The under has hit in each of their past four ATS wins — while the over has hit in five of their past six losses.

Head-to-Head Matchup

In the previous two seasons, Duke has gone 2-1-1 ATS against Syracuse, while also winning three of four straight up battles. The Blue Devils are a different team this year though, for better or worse.

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And keep this in mind: their Pythagorean record has shown them to be one of the unluckiest teams this season. KenPom calculates Duke as having a -.099 win percentage compared to their expected mark, based on points scored and allowed, which ranks 333rd in D-I.

Maybe, on this current streak, the Blue Devils’ luck is starting to turn.

Pick: Duke -5 (-110)

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