The Syracuse Orange can strengthen their case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when they square off against the NC State Wolfpack in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. The Orange (15-8) are widely considered on the bubble for an at-large bid and are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack (13-9) are even further out of the NCAA Tournament discussion but enter the game on a five-game winning streak. The winner of Wednesday's game will face top-seeded Virginia in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Tip-off is set for noon ET. The Orange are favored by 2.5-points in the latest Syracuse vs. NC State odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 145. Before making any NC State vs. Syracuse picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned over $400 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Syracuse vs. NC State in the ACC Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for NC State vs. Syracuse:
- Syracuse vs. NC State spread: Syracuse -2.5
- Syracuse vs. NC State over-under: 145 points
- Syracuse vs. NC State money line: Syracuse -145, NC State +125
- CUSE: Buddy Boeheim leads the team in scoring (16.0 points per game)
- NCST: Manny Bates ranks sixth in the country in blocks per game (2.95)
Why Syracuse can cover
Buddy Boeheim has been on fire. One of four children of coach Jim Boeheim, the 6-foot-6 junior guard is averaging 21.0 points per game over his last five contests while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 42.6 percent on 3-pointers. On the season, Boeheim leads the team in scoring (16.0).
In addition, Syracuse already has had success against NC State this season. The Orange went 2-0 against the Wolfpack during the regular season, winning 76-73 at home on Jan. 31 and 77-68 at NC State on Feb. 9.
Why NC State can cover
NC State is playing arguably its best basketball of the season. Since Feb. 17, the Wolfpack have won five straight games, the second longest active streak in the conference. Over that time, they've shot 49.6 percent from the field and 37.8 percent on 3-pointers while holding opponents to 39.6 and 30.8 percent, respectively.
In addition, forward Jericole Hellems is having a career season. The 6-foot-7 junior from St. Louis, Mo., is averaging a career-best 13.1 points, which leads the team after Devon Daniels was lost for the season. Hellems also is shooting 49.7 percent inside the arc and 39.4 percent beyond it, both career highs.
How to make NC State vs. Syracuse picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 147 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Syracuse vs. NC State? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
