Syracuse vs Arizona State Odds and Picks (Nov. 25)

• The Syracuse Orange are 1.5-point favorites over the Arizona State Sun Devils in their NCAA men’s basketball game slated for Thursday, November 25

• It’s the consolation game of the Beach bracket at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas
• Syracuse lost its opening-round game to VCU, while Arizona State fell to Baylor

Both the Syracuse Orange and Arizona State Sun Devils were handed second straight defeats as they opened the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament on Wednesday.

Arizona State’s setback wasn’t all that shocking. The Sun Devils fell 75-63 to the #6 Baylor Bears. Syracuse was stopped 67-55 by the VCU Rams.

Syracuse and Arizona State are meeting for just the fourth time. Oddsmakers are setting the Orange as 1.5-point favorites. Syracuse is 1-3 against the spread this season.

Arizona State vs Syracuse Odds

Odds as of November 25th at FanDuel.

Tipoff of this game is set for 7:30pm ET at Imperial Arena on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. ESPN2 is carrying the broadcast.

Syracuse Orange Betting Trends

The 12-point loss to the Rams came on the heels of a 15-point setback for the Orange against the Colgate Red Raiders. Syracuse ranks 114th in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (97.7). The Orange are also 329th in opponent’s average possession length (18.6).

Perhaps Orange coach Jim Boeheim needs to recruit more family members. His sons Syracuse, Buddy Boeheim and Jimmy Boeheim, along with fellow senior Cole Swider are collectively scoring 57% of the points for Syracuse so far this season.

Clean it up ❗ pic.twitter.com/O7eUAY6HVg

— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) November 25, 2021

In the loss to VCU, Syracuse finished shooting just 29% (18-62) against the Rams. Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 20 points. Jimmy Boeheim with 17 points. Swider shot 2-of-14 from the field. He was 0-of-7 from 3-point range. Syracuse committed 13 turnovers while distributing only eight assists.

The Orange rank 29th in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency (110.3). However, Syracuse is just 102nd in effective field goal percentage (52.2) and 231st in 3-point field goal average (35.5). Orange junior guard Joseph Girard ranks second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at .714 (15-of-21).

Arizona State Sun Devils Betting Trends

The defending national champion Bears flexed their muscles in winning their 11th straight game by beating the Sun Devils. It was 45-31 Baylor at the half. The Bears extended that advantage to 22 points early in the second half.

Early on, the Sun Devils were looking to make a game of it. D.J. Horne paced Arizona State with 20 points. This was including a jumper and a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 2.5 minutes, helping the Sun Devils to an an early six-point advantage. The game was still tied nearly the 12-minute mark of the first half when Baylor went on a 19-4 run to take a 42-27 lead. The Sun Devils never got within single digits again.

Final from Paradise Island. pic.twitter.com/GSfojPkpA1

— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) November 25, 2021

Baylor held Arizona State to 36% shooting. The Sun Devils committed 16 turnovers that led directly to 15 Baylor points.  Arizona State hasn’t beaten a ranked non-conference opponent since 2018.

The 2-3 Sun Devils lost their two previous games by a combined three-point margin. They were beaten 66-65 on a three-quarter-court buzzer beater by UC Riverside on November 11. Arizona State went down to a 65-63 defeat at San Diego State on Saturday.

Sun Devils-Orange Prediction

Arizona State is without Marcus Bagley, who’s considered their best player. The sophomore forward, averaging 10.0 points per game this season, didn’t make the trip to the Bahamas due to an ongoing knee issue. He reinjured his knee November 15 against North Florida and had to leave the game.

Senior guard Marreon Jackson has made or assisted on 41% of all Arizona State field goals over the last three games. While hitting nine field goals, he was assisting on 20 others. According to KenPom, Syracuse ranks 358th in opponent’s assists/field goals made (72.3).

table's set for a Thanksgiving date with the Orange 🦃🍊 pic.twitter.com/Bi7fOb8dk1

— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) November 25, 2021

Syracuse has scored 78 points while allowing 72.5 points over the past five games. Arizona State is scoring 67.8 points and allowing 65.8 through the last five games.

Syracuse has won two of three previous meetings with Arizona State. All, like this one, were played at neutral sites. The two schools have met twice in the NCAA Tournament.

Pick: Arizona State +1.5 (-106)