Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Syracuse Orange

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Syracuse Orange (-6.5)
Game Total Line: (142.5)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish kick off the New Year with a Big East showdown against the Syracuse Orange this Saturday afternoon in a 3:30 p.m. (ET) start from the Carrier Dome. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

Notre Dame made an early statement in the Big East with a 69-55 romp over No. 9 Georgetown as a 1 ½-point home underdog in its conference opener this past Wednesday night. The Irish are off to a great start with a 12-1 record straight-up and 5-3 against the spread. Their only setback was a 72-58 loss to No. 12 Kentucky in the SEC/Big East Invitational as a five-point underdog.

Notre Dame has shown solid balance on offense with four players averaging double-figures. Senior forward Tim Abromaitis leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Carleton Scott, another senior forward, is shooting 49.5 percent from the field and averaging 12.1 points per game. Senior guard Ben Hansbrough adds to the veteran leadership with 15.5 points and a team-high 3.9 assists.

The Irish are averaging 80 points a game and shooting 45.3 percent from the floor. They are hitting 74.4 percent of their free-throws are connecting on 37.9 percent of their shots from three-point range. Notre Dame has been especially strong under the boards; averaging 41.6 rebounds per game.

Syracuse started the season as the No. 13 team in the country and has worked its way into the top 5 with 14 straight wins including a 72-58 win over then-No. 8 Michigan State in the Jimmy V Classic as a four-point underdog. The Orange opened conference play this past Tuesday night with a 81-74 win over Providence as a 13-point home favorite to run their record to 14-0 SU. They have not been the best cover team as a favorite so far as they are just 4-8 ATS.

The Miami Heat may be known for their big three, but Syracuse has an excellent trio of players as well. Junior forward Kris Joseph leads the team with 14.9 points per game, while junior guard Scoop Jardine leads the team in assists with six per game and is averaging 13.9 points. Rick Jackson, a senior forward, is the team’s leading rebounder with 12.2 per game and is averaging 13.6 points.

The Orange are shooting 47.9 percent from the field and averaging 78 points per game. They are hitting 34.1 percent of their shots from three-point range, but have struggled a bit from the free-throw line; converting of just 66.6 percent of their attempts.

Notre Dame is 3-1 ATS in its last four road games and 2-3 ATS in its last five games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of its last five games.

Syracuse is 3-5 ATS in its last eight games played at home and 2-3 ATS in its last five games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in four of its last six games.

Head-to-head, the Orange have won six out of the last 10 games SU including the last two, but the Irish are 3-2 ATS in the last five. The total has gone ‘over’ in six of the last nine games.

Against the Spread Game Pick

Syracuse has played a number of close games this season against teams not nearly as talented as the Irish. The Orange should be able to get a win at home, but this will remain a one or two possession game until the end. Given that Syracuse has opened as a 6.5 point favorite, Notre Dame would be a solid pick.
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