Villanova vs Syracuse Odds, Lines, and Spread (Dec. 7)

• The Villanova Wildcats are 8.5-point favorites over the Syracuse Orange in an NCAA men’s basketball game slated for Tuesday, December 7 as part of the Jimmy V Classic
• Ranked #6, the Wildcats are 6-2 overall and riding a three-game winning streak
• Syracuse is 5-3 on the season but has won its last two games

So far this season, the #6 Villanova Wildcats have only lost to teams ranked ahead of them. The Syracuse Orange are coming into Tuesday’s clash with the Wildcats off impressive wins over high-profile basketball schools.

The 6-2 Wildcats are being listed as 8.5-point favorites over the 5-3 Orange as the two clash for the 74th time. Syracuse is 2-1 against the spread as an underdog this season.

#6 Villanova vs Syracuse Odds

Odds as of December 6th at FanDuel.

Tipoff for Tuesday’s game at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic, is set for 9pm ET. ESPN is broadcasting the contest.

Syracuse Orange Betting Trends

The Orange brought an end to Florida State’s 25-game home-court winning streak in their last game. They posted a 63-60 verdict over the Seminoles in the ACC season opener. In their previous game, the Orange worked double overtime to win 112-100 over the Indiana Hoosiers.

ACC Road Dub 🎬 pic.twitter.com/CY67n5IFPZ

— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 6, 2021

Senior guard Buddy Boeheim leads Syracuse in scoring, hitting for 19.1 points per game. Senior forward Cole Swider, a Villanova transfer, is averaging 13.1 ppg for the Orange. Junior center Jesse Graham has hit for double digits in each of the past four games. He’s averaging 16.5 ppg over that span. He pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds in the win over Florida State.

Syracuse is 0-1 this season against ranked teams. The Orange lost 89-68 to #19 Auburn.

Villanova Wildcats Betting Trends

Graduate student guard Collin Gillespie, the preseason Big East Player of the Year pick, averaged 24.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in weekend wins over Penn and Saint Joseph’s. On the season Gillespie is averaging 17.2 points and 3.5 assists per game. He leads the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8).

Senior forward Brandon Slater (14.0 ppg) is next in scoring after Gillespie. Slater’s offensive rating of 145.6 ranks ninth in the country. Four of the Wildcats’ five starters are averaging double-digit points-per-game this year.  Five Villanova players are shooting better than 37% from 3-point range, led by Gillespie (46.9%). The Wildcats rank sixth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage. (42.15) and 3-point field goals made (11.8).

🎥: WIN No. 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/hdzalVGfNa

— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) December 6, 2021

Villanova’s only losses so far this season were to #2 Purdue (neutral site game) and at #5 UCLA. The Wildcats beat #10 Tennessee.

Defensively, the Wildcats are allowing 63.1 points per game. They’ve held five of eight opponents below the 60-point threshold, including four of the last five. Villanova is 5-0 this  season when holding the opposition under 60 points. Villanova is 6-0 this season when outrebounding an opponent. The Wildcats are also seventh in the nation in fewest turnovers committed (68 in eight games).

Wildcats vs Orange Prediction

Syracuse is enjoying much more success since switching its defensive system to a 1-1-3 zone. The Orange have played this style the past two games.

In the victory over Indiana, the Orange held the Hoosiers to a 35.7% shooting performance while utilizing the 1-1-3. Against Florida State, they held the Seminoles to 34.9% shooting overall and 28.1% in the second half.

SYR ➡️ NYC pic.twitter.com/GcGTznZCml

— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 7, 2021

Will it work against a powerful Villanova squad, though? KenPom ranks the Wildcats #6 nationally with an overall adjusted metric of +25.19. Villanova is fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (118.3 points per possession) and 44th in adjusted defensive efficiency (95.1 points per possession).

Syracuse holds a 39-33 edge in the all-time series with Villanova. That includes a 7-4 advantage in games played between the two schools at MSG. However, the Wildcats have won two of the the last three meetings from Syracuse. The Orange haven’t tasted victory against Villanova since 2013.

Villanova is just 4-4 against the spread this season.

Pick: Syracuse Orange +8.5 (-110)