Butler Bulldogs vs. Syracuse Orange (-7) Point Spread Picks

In a Sweet 16 match up in the West Region the 5th seed Butler Bulldogs face the top-seed Syracuse Orange. Syracuse has had no problem getting to the Sweet 16 with a couple of blowouts and while Butler smoked UTEP in the 1st round they only beat Murray State by 2 points in their 2nd round game.

This season Syracuse is 21-9 ATS and Butler is 14-20 ATS.

In their 2nd round games in the Big Dance Butler beat Murray State 54-52 while Syracuse laid a beat down on Gonzaga crushing them 87-65.

Butler will have to play good defense against an Orange team that is averaging 81.6 ppg this season and has scored 79 and 87 points in their 2 games in the NCAA tournament.

The Orange shot a FG% of 54.7% in their win over Gonzaga and they were on fire from deep with a 3-pt FG% of 48% (12/25). The Bulldogs will have to play good perimeter defense and not allow the Orange to bomb away from beyond the 3-pt arc.

Syracuse has a well-balanced offense with 2 forwards and a guards averaging in double figures led by Wes Johnson (16.5 ppg). The Orange will be harder to deal with if F Arinze Onuaku (10.5 ppg 5.1 rpg) can play, as he has missed the first 2 games, but may play in this one. Butler has to contain Johnson, who had 31 points, 14 boards, and hit on 4 of 6 on his 3-point bombs in the win over Gonzaga.

Butler also has a well-balanced offense with 2 forwards, a guard, and a guard/forward averaging in double figures led by G/F Gordon Hayward (15.2 ppg). Hayward must play better against Syracuse than he did against Murray State when he only scored 12 points and was 4/13 from the field.

As a team the Bulldogs will have to shoot the rock well, which they did not do against Murray State only shooting a FG% of 36%. If they shot near that percentage again they will be toast in this game.

Butler only beat Murray State because the forced 16 turnovers, but they were out-rebounded by 16 boards and shot a horrid FG%.

The Orange are a better team on the glass so Butler has to hit the boards as a team, as if they allow Syracuse to dominate the boards like Murray State did the Orange will be advancing to the Elite 8.

Butler is not a deep team at all so if their starters do not score it will be very hard for them to win.

Butler is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 7.0-12.5 and Under record if 6-1 in their last 7 games and Syracuse is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games and has an Over record of 6-1-1 in their last 8 games.

Game Prediction

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