The Syracuse Orange have looked every bit a number one seed so far in the NCAA Betting Tournament. They dismantled Vermont and Gonzaga in the first two rounds and they are a solid favorite to get past #5 seed Butler on Thursday night in the first Sweet Sixteen game.
Syracuse is a 7-point favorite with a total of 138.5 at SBG Global.
Syracuse was led in the first two games by Wesley Johnson who could be the best player in the nation. He looks like a future NBA star. He can shoot from anywhere and he can also dominate inside. The Orange have Andy Rautins who can shoot from the outside as well. Syracuse should also get back center Arinze Onuaku which makes them even more dangerous.
Butler was able to get past Murray State in the second round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen betting for the second time in their history. The Bulldogs are very well coached but other than Matt Howard they simply don’t have the talent to matchup with Syracuse. Butler head coach Brad Stevens is well aware of just how good Syracuse is. “They play incredibly hard, and they’re incredibly well-coached, stating the obvious,” Stevens said, “The scary part is, anybody that watched them today, they looked terrific and the stats back up how they looked today. It’s not like it’s a one-time thing. They are as good a team as there is in the country.” The praise seems well deserved considering what Syracuse has done this season. “I don’t know that I’ve seen a team that I really watched this close — and I haven’t watched everyone this close — as good as Syracuse,” Stevens said. “They have everything you need to be a great basketball team.”
Butler is normally a good underdog as they are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games as an underdog. The Bulldogs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.
The Orange are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament betting games as a favorite. The Orange are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. The Orange are 30-11 ATS in their last 41 games overall.
The Under is 6-1 in the Bulldogs last 7 overall. The Over is 4-1 in the Bulldogs last 5 NCAA Tournament games. The Over is 6-1-1 in Syracuse’s last 8 overall.
