Check out our free Virginia vs Syracuse pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Syracuse. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Virginia vs Syracuse Pick & Preview: Monday, January 30th Betting Odds

Cavaliers vs Orange Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Virginia Cavaliers at Syracuse Orange
  • Where: Syracuse at JMA Wireless Dome
  • Date: Monday, January 30th
  • Betting Odds: Virginia -5, VIR -225 | SYRA +181 O/U 132.5

Cavaliers Preview:

Virginia heads into this matchup having played 19 games and have an overall record sitting at 16-3. On the road, the Cavaliers will be playing their 6th game of the season, having gone 4-2. So far, the Cavaliers have been favored 16 times, going 14-2 straight up. In today’s matchup, the oddsmakers have Virginia as -5 point favorites.

Virginia will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Armaan Franklin who is averaging 13.11 points per game for the Cavaliers. Franklin is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Cavaliers’ offensive game plan is the play of Kihei Clark who has hit 42.1% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.32 points per game.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for Virginia this season, as they are currently ranked 431st in college basketball at 62.6 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.2%, placing them 358th in the NCAA.

Orange Preview:

Syracuse heads into this matchup having played 22 games and have an overall record sitting at 13-9. Currently, the Orange have been the home team 14 times, sitting with a record of 10-4. So far, the Orange have been the underdog 8 times, going 2-6 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +5 underdogs on the spread.

Syracuse will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Joseph Girard III who is averaging 17.0 points per game for the Orange. III is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Orange’s offensive game plan is the play of Judah Mintz who has hit 43.0% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 15.23 points per game.

So far this season, Syracuse has put together a strong scoring offense at 77.4 points per game (48th). This strong figure has come despite the Orange playing at a slow tempo compared to other schools. For the season, they have hit 37.7% of their shots from outside, which is closer to the NCAA average. Syracuse’s overall field goal percentage currently sits at 45.0%

Free Spread Prediction: Syracuse Orange +5

If you are looking to get a wager down on today’s matchup betwen the Syracuse Orange and Virginia Cavaliers, we see Syracuse as the best bet on the spread at +5. Look for the Orange’s offense to continue their strong 3-point shooting as they are averaging 9.09 made 3’s per contest. Not only do they have the edge from beyond the arc, but they also have a good track record vs the spread as the underdog. In Syracuse’s last 10 games as the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-4. Going into the game, we feel good about grabbing Syracuse +5.