Hoyas vs. Orange Odds: Steady Line Thus Far
Carrie Stroup here with your Hoyas vs. Orange odds and the betting preview for the Blue Devils vs. Tar Heels. This is a February 8, 2012 game. For all updated College Basketball lines be sure to check out Sportsbook.com here. You can get up to $250 in FREE CASH based on your initial deposit. In business since 1997.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Syracuse -9 & 129.5
Opening Line & Total: Orange -9 & 130
No. 12 Georgetown looks to grab a firm hold of second place in the conference when it travels to No. 2 Syracuse to take on one the arch rival Orange on Wednesday night.
The Hoyas cruised to two easy victories (SU and ATS) last week over Connecticut and South Florida, but are just 1-3 ATS in their past four conference road games. Georgetown boasts the second best three-point percentage in the Big East (36.4%), and hitting outside shots is the easiest way to loosen up the lethal 2-3 zone of Syracuse. Opposing defenses have had no success trying to stop the Orange’s potent offense—ranking first in the Big East in FG percentage (48.2%)—but the lines makers have caught up to Syracuse, who is just 1-3 ATS in its past four home games. This shooting accuracy, surprisingly, is even better away from home, climbing to 54.1%. Syracuse runs an up-tempo offense that scores quickly, while Georgetown likes to slow the pace of the game with methodical possessions. The Hoyas also have a very efficient big man in senior Henry Sims (11.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG) who can receive and distribute passes in the teeth of the zone.
Don’t look now, but with a win on Wednesday the Hoyas will pull to within one game of the Orange for first place in the Big East. Projected to finish 10th in the conference this season, Georgetown has been one of the Big East’s biggest surprises. Senior guard Jason Clark (15.2 PPG) and junior forward Hollis Thompson (13.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) lead the way for the Hoyas on offense. It will be imperative for all members of Georgetown’s eight-man rotation to stay out of foul trouble. Syracuse is so deep and can roll so many different lineups at opponents, the Hoyas can ill-afford to go long stretches without their key players on the court in this matchup.
The Orange have overwhelmed opponents with some incredible offensive depth, with 10 different players averaging 10+ minutes. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters (12.3 PPG) is arguably Syracuse’s best scorer—and he comes off the bench. Senior forward Kris Joseph (13.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG) leads all scorers for the Orange, who had five players score in double-figures in a 95-70 win over St. John’s on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The return of sophomore center Fab Melo (7.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.0 BPG) from a three-game academic suspension appears to have the Orange offense back at an elite level. Melo has had a breakout season this far, and posted a career-high 14 points in his first game back against the Red Storm.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS (19-4) at NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (20-3)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: North Carolina -6 & 156.5
Opening Line & Total: Tar Heels -6.5 & 158.5
The most storied rivalry in college basketball takes center stage on Wednesday night as the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils travel just eight miles down the road to take on the arch rival No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels at the Dean E. Smith Center.
This year’s North Carolina squad lights up the scoreboard with 84.1 PPG, the highest average in the nation. Led in the post by Tyler Zeller (15.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG) and John Henson (14.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG), the Tar Heels are also the country’s most active team on the boards at 46.3 RPG. Furthermore, they enter this matchup against a Duke team that has struggled lately. The Blue Devils have fell in two of their past four ACC games, both losses of which came at home, where they typically are unbeatable. And they are 3-7 ATS in the past 10 games. Heading to Chapel Hill is a tough place to turn things around, where the Tar Heels are 14-0 SU this season, outscoring these opponents by 24.8 PPG (17.8 PPG in ACC play). Finally, North Carolina’s top scorer Harrison Barnes (17.3 PPG) should have a field day against the Blue Devils who have nobody that can realistically match up against him on the defensive end. The 6-foot-8 forward will be too tall for Duke’s guards, who top out at 6-foot-4, and too quick for their post players such as Ryan Kelly.
Although statistically inferior to North Carolina’s, Duke’s offense is not too shabby (79.8 PPG, 11th in nation) with five players who score with regularity. Freshman Austin Rivers (14.5 PPG) leads that crew, while Seth Curry (12.6 PPG) joins him as a strong scorer in the backcourt. Six-foot-11 Ryan Kelly (12.6 PPG) is a forward, but threatens from downtown on the offensive end with 1.3 threes per game on an impressive 45.3% clip. Mason Plumlee (11.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG) is the team’s best rebounder, but the Blue Devils (36.0 RPG, 104th in nation) cannot compete with the Tar Heels on the boards. With 7.9 made threes per game though, Duke can win games from behind the arc, where Andre Dawkins (9.7 PPG, 2.2 threes per game), can be dangerous when hot.
North Carolina’s prolific scoring is led by Barnes, Zeller and Henson but orchestrated by Kendall Marshall. He is second in the country in assists with 9.8 APG and at 6-foot-4 is more physical than the average guard. He also plays the most minutes per game on his team (31.8 MPG) and has a 3.42 turnover-to-assist ratio. They will win this game by shutting Duke down on the inside, which often opens up their elite outside game. Henson, the reigning ACC defensive player of the year, averages 3.2 BPG on a team that is seventh in the nation with 6.3 BPG. He is also extremely efficient on the offensive end, where he registers a 52% FG next to Zeller (55% FG) who also does a great job at putting the ball in the hoop with high-percentage shots.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
