Syracuse vs. Georgetown Odds
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 154.5 -110o / -110u | -176 |
| Georgetown Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 154.5 -110o / -110u | +146 |
Two former Big East rivals square off as Syracuse heads to Capital One Arena to take on Georgetown.
Both teams have struggled to find their footing early on in 2021. Syracuse has been upset by both Colgate and VCU and is fresh off a second-half collapse against No. 6 Villanova. The Orange currently sit at 5-4.
Meanwhile, the Hoyas are 4-4 with losses to both Dartmouth and Saint Joseph's. They recently blew out UMBC by 29 and will look to keep momentum rolling during Saturday's bout against the Orange.
This will be a fast-paced matchup between two teams that rank inside the top 65 in average possession length. Both boast efficient 3-point shooting offenses that ironically struggle to defend the long ball.
Can Georgetown secure its first win against a power conference team, or will Syracuse bounce back as ACC play nears?
Orange Struggle Defensively
Once again, Syracuse has found itself in a tumultuous season with blatant issues being exploited in non-conference play.
There are some positives, though. The Orange took down Indiana in double overtime and followed it up with a road win against Florida State. Offensively, SU is shooting the ball real well — 36.6 percent from 3 — and rank 23rd in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Much of their offensive success has come from Jimmy Boeheim and Jesse Edwards. The former, a Cornell transfer, has shot the ball well and shown the ability to take over games. He was the lone reason SU kept it close with Villanova until the final 10 minutes.
Edwards, now in his third season with the team, has become the starting center and averages 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He is consistent around the rim and has a 70.7 eFG% thus far, 18th in the country.
Syracuse's biggest issue has and will continue to be defense. Athleticism is at a premium. Head coach Jim Boeheim has opted to switch between a 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone, in large part due to the Orange's struggles. They don't have the length on the perimeter like in years past.
While the switch in defensive schemes worked in the first half against Villanova, a second-half meltdown led to a blowout win for the Wildcats at Madison Square Garden.
To put it simply, Syracuse has been ineffective on the defensive end. The Orange rank 192nd against the 3 and an even worse 256th inside the arc. Opponents have also dominated the offensive glass, where SU gives up an offensive rebound at a 33.6 percent clip. Villanova had almost as many offensive rebounds (27) as defensive (30).
With capable shooters and a strong big man — Edwards finds himself in foul trouble nearly every game — teams continue to score with ease on the Orange.
Hoyas Going Through Growing Pains
Georgetown's roster has undergone a complete rebuild with just three rotational players returning from last year's roster.
Of those three, expected-starting center Timothy Ighoefe broke his hand and will be out for the foreseeable future. The two remaining players? The starting backcourt of Dante Harris and Donald Carey.
It has led to some early season struggles for the Hoyas, who opened the season with a shocking nine-point loss to Dartmouth at home. Georgetown has yet to beat a team that ranks higher than No. 198 in KenPom's rankings.
Harris is the main facilitator for the Hoyas' offense. While he won't beat you from beyond the arc, his athleticism and playmaking creates plenty of opportunities for shooters like Carey and fifth-year transfer Kaiden Rice (The Citadel).
Both players shoot at a 44-percent clip or better and have played a large role in Georgetown's 3-point percentage (31st in NCAA). Rice even set a Georgetown record with 10 3s against UMBC on Wednesday.
Outside of those three, freshman Aminu Mohammed has been a bright spot for the Hoyas. Though not a shooter, Mohammed is incredibly athletic, rebounds well and draws plenty of fouls. He averages 14.1 points per game, second on the team.
Much like its opponent on Saturday, Georgetown's defense struggles to defend the 3. Opponents are shooting at a 34.1-percent clip, 224th in the country, per KenPom.
But unlike its former Big East foe, Georgetown is able to use its height to control the glass. The aforementioned Mohammed averages 8.1 boards per game and 7-foot-2 big Ryan Mutombo — son of Dikembe — has slowly seen his minutes increase with the injury to Ighoefe.
Syracuse vs. Georgetown Betting Pick
This seems like the perfect get-right spot for Syracuse. Outside of that late breakdown against Villanova, the Orange put together five strong halves of basketball.
Yes, Georgetown shoots the ball well from 3 and likes to push the pace. But its best performances have come against teams that rank in the 200s of KenPom.
In their two games against South Carolina and San Diego State — ranked 102nd and 46th, respectively — the Hoyas combined to shoot 9-of-44 from beyond the arc (20.5 percent). While they should find more success against a Syracuse team that invites shooting 3s, I don't trust this young and inexperienced Georgetown team.
The way to beat Syracuse is to size them up and force them off the 3-point line. Georgetown has been ineffective in both forcing turnovers and limiting the long ball, which should set up nicely for an Orange team that often has four players around the perimeter.
Back Syracuse to take down its former Big East rival to start your jam-packed Saturday college basketball slate.
