Syracuse is the #1 seed in the West Region and the Orange are heavily favored against #16 Vermont on Friday night. The Orange will not be taking Vermont lightly as five years ago the Catamounts upset Syracuse as a #13 seed. “That was the year before I came in. I hadn’t committed yet, but everyone in Syracuse was miserable after that loss,” Syracuse senior guard Andy Rautins said. “It’s definitely going to be a little bit of a payback game for us. We’re not taking anybody lightly — we’re going to come out and have a great week of practice, get good preparation in and be well prepared for this college basketball betting game.”
Syracuse is a 17.5 point favorite with a total of 143 at SBG Global.
The Orange are not entirely healthy for this college basketball betting game as Arinze Onuaku was hurt in the Big East Tournament. He may not play in this opening round game. “He has played in a lot of pain before, probably two or three months last year — he had pain the whole year,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “I would not sell him short as far as being able to come out and play. If he is strong and feels strong, he may not be able to play 25 or 30 minutes, but maybe he will be able to play 15 or 20, we will have to see.”
The game on Friday also holds intrigue for another reason as Syracuse forward Kris Joseph will be playing against his brother Maurice who is the second leading scorer for Vermont.
Vermont is not a pushover and has done very well of late against the spread. The Catamounts are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Catamounts are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
The Orange are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 non-conference betting games. The Orange are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. The Orange are 28-11 ATS in their last 39 games overall. The Orange are 25-10 ATS in their last 35 games as a favorite.
