Free College Basketball Pick
#1 Syracuse Orange (28-2, 15-2 Big East) at Louisville Cardinals (19-11, 10-7 Big East) Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, 2PM, 3/6
For Louisville, it is senior day, it is the final game to be played at Freedom Hall, and their bubble is currently bulging, and about to burst. For Syracuse, it is revenge time. This is a rematch of last year’s Big East tournament championship. Last year, Louisville rallied for a second half win over Syracuse, 76-66, to take the tournament championship and secure a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
This year it is a different story. Louisville is on the bubble, in danger of not making the tournament at all. Before their last game against Marquette, odds were that they would be an at-large bid.
They have a winning record in the toughest conference in the country, and a better conference record than #20 Georgetown. They swept Connecticut this year, and even beat Syracuse in their first meeting in the Carrier Dome. But they have had bad losses too, including a 69-48 loss to Marquette. Failing to score 50 points in a game, when they average over 75 does not help. Sophomore Samardo Samuels leads the team with 15.9 points per game. Should Louisville pull off another win against the Orange, they are a lock for the tournament; a loss will mean they will have to make a deep run in the Big East tournament again to guarantee a bid.
The Orange successfully defended their number one overall ranking with a win over St. Johns in their last game, and won the Big East outright for the first time since 1990-1991. They will look to cap the regular season off on a good note, and will have plenty of reasons to play hard. Aside from Louisville taking a Big East tournament championship away from the Orange last year, Louisville also handed Syracuse one of their two losses this year. Syracuse will look for revenge, led by five players who average double-figures. Louisville beat the Orange 66-60 on Valentine’s Day.
Louisville closes Freedom Hall after over 50 years. The facility first opened in 1956, and has played host to many memorable games. The Orange will try to make sure, that the last game played there is remembered with an “L” for the home team.
Syracuse is only favored by one point. The total is listed at 145.
Syracuse Betting Trends:
Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games |
Syracuse is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games |
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Syracuse's last 5 games |
Syracuse is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road |
Syracuse is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road |
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Syracuse's last 8 games on the road |
Syracuse is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Louisville |
Syracuse is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Louisville |
Louisville Betting Trends:
Louisville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games |
Louisville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games |
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Louisville's last 8 games |
Louisville is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home |
Louisville is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home |
Louisville is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Syracuse |
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Syracuse |
Pick: Take Louisville +1
Betting Trends by Bodog.com |
