The Duke Blue Devils take on the Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, NY. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Duke is favored by 18.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2400. The total is set at 143 points.
Here are my Duke vs. Syracuse predictions and college basketball picks for February 5, 2025.
Duke vs Syracuse Prediction
My Pick: Under 143.5 (Play to 142)
My Duke vs Syracuse best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Duke vs Syracuse Odds
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-18.5 -110 | 143 -110 / -110 | -2400 |
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+18.5 -110 | 143 -110 / -110 | +1200 |
- Duke vs Syracuse spread: Duke -18.5
- Duke vs Syracuse over/under: 143 points
- Duke vs Syracuse moneyline: Duke -2400, Syracuse +1200
- Duke vs Syracuse best bet: Under 143.5 (Play to 142)
Spread
I have no play on the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm banking on the under.
My Pick: Under 143.5 (Play to 142)
Duke vs Syracuse College Basketball Betting Preview
Syracuse finally rattled off a huge win in conference play, beating California in Berkeley. Still, the Orange are 10-12 overall and 4-7 in the ACC.
Meanwhile, Duke’s last loss came in November, and it's looked otherworldly dominant since.
The Blue Devils continue to impress, particularly defensively. They have the third-best defense in America, per KenPom’s defensive efficiency.
The key for an opposing team is an outlier shooting performance. Otherwise, good luck scoring versus this vaunted defense, which holds teams to 40% shooting from 2.
Duke has some serious imposing size, ranking first in KenPom’s average height metric. None of Duke’s rotation players are shorter than 6-foot-5.
For as good as Duke is at limiting scoring, it’s equally awesome offensively. It boasts the fifth-best offensive efficiency in the sport and doesn’t have a clear drawback.
Most teams have something that holds them back. For example, look at where Duke ranks compared to the rest of the country in three key categories: It shoots 36% from 3 (34th nationally), 57% from 2 (20th) and 15% turnover rate (45th).
The offense runs through sensational freshman Cooper Flagg, who averages 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game. He’s in pretty rarified air with those numbers for a freshman, and everything he does makes Duke a better team.
I’d say the best part of Flagg’s game is his passing. His dynamic scoring forces teams to either try defending him one-on-one or helping on a drive. If he gets doubled, Flagg can kick to a shooter, so it's a precarious spot to be in for opposing teams.
Pace will be key in dictating which side of the total hits. Duke is fine playing a slower-tempo game, posting the 268th-ranked adjusted tempo. That's especially the case on the road, where Jon Scheyer-coached teams tend to have a large edge towards going under the total.
Syracuse definitely wants to play a bit faster than Duke. Red Autry’s squad ranks in the top 100 in adjusted tempo.
I'm not sure why Syracuse plays fast, though. The Orange rank 125th in offensive efficiency and haven't scored 80+ points since December 10. The quicker tempo doesn't really benefit the Orange since its talent base is lacking.
J.J. Starling is the "guy" for Syracuse. He's one of two non-injured players who average 10+ points per game, entering action with 17.9 points per night. However, Starling is very inefficient, shooting 42% from the field and 29% from 3.
The other Cuse player who will get shots often is 6-foot-11 center Eddie Lampkin Jr., who Duke's Khaman Maluach should neutralize.
Cuse needs scoring from Lucas Taylor, Jaquan Carlos and Elijah Moore to keep this contest relatively close. Those three occupy big minutes, and Taylor scored 19 points in the win at Cal on Saturday.
Syracuse wants to find good looks from inside the arc. As I mentioned earlier, the length and athleticism mixture on Duke's defense almost forces teams to shoot it from 3.
Teams just can't drive against Duke's size, and if they do, either Maluach or Flagg will assist with their long arms.
Scoring will be a chore for the home squad.
