The No. 13 Virginia Cavaliers will look to continue their home court dominance when they meet the Syracuse Orange in a key Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Monday. Virginia (10-2, 6-0), which is out to win its second ACC regular-season title in three years, finished tied for second in the ACC with Duke and Louisville and was 23-7 overall in 2019-20. The Cavaliers are 6-0 at home and 20-3 on their home floor over the past two seasons. Syracuse (9-4), which is 1-3 on the road, tied for sixth in the conference with North Carolina State and Notre Dame at 10-10 and was 18-14 overall a year ago.
The game from John Paul Jones Arena is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Syracuse is averaging 79.5 points per game, while Virginia averages 73.5. The Cavaliers are seven-point favorites in the latest Syracuse vs. Virginia odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 130. Before making any Virginia vs. Syracuse picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The 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 $2,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Virginia vs. Syracuse. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Syracuse vs. Virginia:
- Syracuse vs. Virginia spread: Virginia -7
- Syracuse vs. Virginia over-under: 130 points
- Syracuse vs. Virginia money line: Virginia -330; Syracuse +260
- SYR: The Orange have converted 78.9 percent of their free throw attempts. The school record is 75.1 percent, set in 1983-84
- UVA: Has held Syracuse to 68 points or fewer in each of the last 10 meetings
Why Virginia can cover
The Cavaliers, which have had six games postponed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, have won nine of 10, including six in a row. One of the key reasons for Virginia's success has been the play of junior guard Trey Murphy III, who averages 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He is connecting on 53.2 percent of his field goals, including 50.9 percent from 3-point range, and 82.4 percent of his free throws. He has reached double figures seven times, including a 21-point performance against Towson on Nov. 25.
Also leading the Cavaliers is junior guard Kihei Clark, one of four players on the team to average in double figures. Clark is averaging 10.2 points, 4.1 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures seven times, including 19 points against top-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 26 and 19 at Notre Dame on Dec. 30. He dished out a season-high eight assists in the win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Why Syracuse can cover
The Orange have five players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier, who is averaging 16.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and one assist per game. He has been red hot from the floor, connecting on 57.6 percent of his field goals and 75 percent of his free throws. Guerrier has scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games, including six double-doubles. He scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Buffalo on Dec. 19. Guerrier scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds at Pittsburgh on Jan. 16.
Another big part of the Syracuse offense is junior forward Alan Griffin, who has scored in double figures in 10 of 13 games, including five games with 20 or more points. He has recorded four double-doubles, including a 15-point, 10-rebound performance on Saturday against Virginia Tech. His best game was a 28-point effort at Pittsburgh. For the season, he is averaging 15.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
How to make Virginia vs. Syracuse picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams to combine for 143 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that is hitting in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Syracuse vs. Virginia? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? 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.
