The Syracuse Orange meet the North Carolina Tar Heels in an ACC matchup tonight at the Dean E. Smith Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Syracuse (13-9 SU, 10-12 ATS) has been up and down this season under head coach Adrian Autry. North Carolina (17-4 SU, 12-9 ATS) is riding a three-game winning streak after beating Georgia Tech, 91-75, on Saturday.
DraftKings is dealing North Carolina as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 156.5 as of publication. 84% of spread handle and 95% of tickets are on the Tar Heels.
It’s been a while since we previewed North Carolina, which cashed us winning tickets on the spread and moneyline in beating Kansas, 87-74, back in early November.
Best Bet Syracuse vs. North Carolina: Against the Spread
This is a potential trap game for North Carolina, with mega-rival Duke up next on Saturday. The Tar Heels are unbeaten at home this season, but they rank last in the ACC at defending the 3-point shot.
Forward Caleb Wilson does it all for UNC. The nation’s leading dunker averages 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Wilson and center Henri Veesaar should be able to do as they please in the paint against a Syracuse defense that struggles in 2-point defense. Guard Seth Trimble stepped up his game in wins over Georgia Tech (18 points) and Virginia (16 points)
Syracuse snapped a four-game losing streak by beating a bad Notre Dame team its last time out. Forward Donnie Freeman leads the Orange with 18.2 points per game. Guard J.J. Starling will need to maintain his recent scoring surge — 21 points against Notre Dame and 17 against NC State — to keep the Orange within shouting distance.
North Carolina has been dominant at home. With both of these teams playing on short rest, the Tar Heels rate the edge in overall depth, going nine deep at times.
Pick: North Carolina -11.5
Best Player Prop for North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina to Win & Henri Veesaar to Score 15+ Points (-120 at FanDuel)
Veesaar bounced back from an uncharacteristic down game against Virginia with 20 points in Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech. The 7-foot Estonian is capable of dominating down low and making shots from behind the arc. He’s a matchup nightmare given that versatility.
For the purposes of this bet, we only need North Carolina to win outright and for Veesaar to have a typical offensive performance. He averages 16.8 ppg.
Best Player Prop for Syracuse Orange
J.J. Starling OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (+198 at FanDuel)
Starling broke out offensively in Syracuse’s last two games. He also made three 3-pointers against Notre Dame and two against NC State.
Starling totaled 12 shot attempts from behind the arc in those games. Given North Carolina’s struggles with perimeter defense, expect his long-range shooting volume to remain heavy tonight.
The post Syracuse vs. North Carolina Odds, Predictions & Picks for Monday, February 2 appeared first on CasinoBeats.
The Syracuse Orange meet the North Carolina Tar Heels in an ACC matchup tonight at the Dean E. Smith Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Syracuse (13-9 SU, 10-12 ATS) has been up and down this season under head coach Adrian Autry. North Carolina (17-4 SU, 12-9 ATS) is riding a
The post Syracuse vs. North Carolina Odds, Predictions & Picks for Monday, February 2 appeared first on CasinoBeats.