Virginia vs Syracuse Predictions & Odds (Jan. 30)
By John Perrotto in College Basketball
Published:
- No. 7 Virginia is a 4.5-point road favorite over Syracuse on Monday night in an ACC game
- Virginia is on a six-game winning streak
- A look at the Virginia vs Syracuse odds and prediction can be found below
No. 7 Virginia will try to extend its six-game winning streak when it visits Syracuse in an ACC game at 7 p.m. ET Monday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Virginia (16-3, 4-2 road, 8-2 ACC) defeated Boston College 76-57 on Saturday at home. Syracuse (13-9, 9-4 home, 6-5 ACC) lost for the third time in its last four games when it fell to Virginia Tech 85-70 on Saturday on the road.
ESPN will televise the game.
Virginia vs Syracuse Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | -215 | -4.5 (-120) | Over 132.5 (-106) |
| Syracuse | +176 | +4.5 (-102) | Under 132.5 (-114) |
Odds as of January 29th at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Virginia is favored by 4.5 points and is a -215 pick on the moneyline in the college basketball odds. The Cavaliers are listed at +2000 in the NCAA Tournament championship odds.
Virginia Betting Trends
Virginia’s vaunted Pack Line defense has vaulted the Cavaliers into the top 10 again this season. The Cavaliers are allowing just 60.1 points a game, which ranks ninth in the nation, and they are 48th in field goal defense (40.7%).
Virginia forced Boston College into 16 turnovers in Saturday’s win. The Cavaliers also shot 50.8% (30 of 59).
Senior guard Armaan Franklin and junior guard Jayden Gardner each scored 18 points to lead Virginia. Franklin had seven rebounds and three assists while Gardner made 8-of-12 field goal attempts.
Franklin is Virginia’s leading scorer with a 13.1 average.
My goodness, Armaan Franklin. pic.twitter.com/E8ff6wulfM
— Spencer Percy (@QCHspencer) January 21, 2023
Ball movement is the key to Virginia’s offense with senior guard Kihei Clark and junior guard Reece Beekman ranking second and third in assists in the ACC. Clark is averaging 5.8 a game and Beekman is dishing at a 5.3 clip.
Clark is also averaging 11.3 points a game and junior forward Jayden Gardner has a 10.5 scoring average for Virginia, which is 25th in Division I with a 38.2 three-point percentage.
Freshman guard Isaac McKneely added 12 points on Saturday. Beekman had 11 points and eight assists.
Syracuse Betting Trends
Poor defense and an off day by leading scorer Joseph Girard III doomed Syracuse on Saturday in its loss to Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech shot 53.3% (32 of 60) overall and 40.6% (13 of 32) from three-point range. The Hokies made 11 of 20 from beyond the arc in the first half when they built a 52-33 lead.
Girard is fifth in the conference in scoring with an average of 17.0 points a game. However, the senior guard was limited to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting Saturday and did not score his first field goal until there was 7:12 left.
Girardi is also dishing 3.3 assists a game.
🚨POD: Joseph Girard Ov 24.5 PRA
Dude has been the stud for a young Syracuse team. He gets unreal volume beyond the 3 point line shooting atleast 7 attempts. He is shooting 41% FG % and 38% 3pt on 34 mins per game @BookitWithTrent– lock this in! Trust pic.twitter.com/x1VrRhg2d9
— Gfswim (@GfswimBets) January 28, 2023
Freshman guard Judah Mintz led Syracuse with 21 points and eight rebounds but also had five of the Orange’s 15 turnovers. Mintz leads the ACC in steals with a 2.0 a game and is averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 assists.
Senior center Jesse Edwards is first in the ACC in blocked shots (2.8), second in field goal percentage (59.2) and third in rebounding (10.4). He is averaging 13.4 points but had nine points and five rebounds against Virginia Tech as the Hokies outrebounded Syracuse 37-26.
Freshman guard Justin Taylor scored 12 points off the bench on four three-pointers and freshman forward Maliq Brown contributed 11 points. Syracuse is shooting 37.1% from distance as a team, standing 48th in the nation.
Virginia vs Syracuse Prediction
Virginia has dominated the series in recent years, winning four games in a row and eight of nine. The Cavaliers beat the Orange 73-66 on Jan. 7 at home as Franklin scored 16 points for Virginia and Girard had 19 for Syracuse.
Look for Virginia to win again, even on the road, against a struggling Syracuse team.
Pick: Virginia -4.5 (-120)
Season record: 23-19 (+2.1 units) ATS, 1-6 (-4.5 units) ML
Sports Writer
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
