Virginia at Syracuse Betting Predictions 1/30/23

Virginia (16-3 SU 7-12 ATS) vs. Syracuse (13-9 SU 10-12 ATS)
When: Monday, January 30th: 7:00 ET
Where: JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse, NY
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: UVA -5/SU +5
Total: 132.5
Money Line: Virginia Cavaliers -225/Syracuse Orange +181

The Virginia Cavs have only lost one game in 2023, losing 68-65 on the road to the Pitt Panthers. They’ve won six straight since then and will look to make that a lucky seven tonight in Syracuse when they visit the Orange. The CBB betting board lists Virginia as a -5.5 point spread favorite.

Line Movement

This match opened with the Cavaliers, a -4.5 spread favorite, and has since risen to -5.5 on most college betting boards. The total opened on most books at 132 or 132.5, and the consensus line is now 132.5 points.

Last Game Info

Virginia picked up a victory over Boston College by a score of 76-57. Heading into the game, the Cavaliers were favored to win, with a point spread of -14.5. The combined 133 points finished above the 122.5 total line.

Syracuse most recently fell to Virginia Tech (85-70). Not only did the Orange lose straight-up, but they picked up an ATS defeat as +6.5 point underdogs. The combined 155 points finished above the 141 total line.

Current Form

Virginia
Over their last five games, Virginia has a straight-up record of 5-0 while going 4-1 vs. the spread. Over this stretch, the Cavaliers’ offense averages 72.4 points per game while hitting 46.6% of their shots from the field. On the defensive end of the floor, they have allowed opponents to shoot 41.7% from the field while allowing 61.6 points per contest.

Syracuse
In their previous five contests, Syracuse is 2-3 straight-up and 3-2 vs. the spread. In these five games, they have a scoring average of 74.8 points per game on a shooting percentage of 49.5%. Defensively, they allow teams to hit 45.7% of their shots while giving up 75.0 points per game.

Average Power Rating Of Opponents Played

This season, the combined power rating of Virginia’s opponents comes in at 81.8. On the other side, Syracuse’s combined opponent power rating sits at 79.3.

How Does Virginia Fare On The Road?

For the season, the Cavaliers have played six road games and have a record of 4-2. In these contests, Virginia is 2-4 vs. the spread. Offensively, they have averaged 69.3 points per game on a shooting percentage of 44.6%. On defense, the Cavaliers allow 63.8 points per contest when playing away from home. So far, opposing teams have a field goal percentage of 43.1% in these games.

How Does Syracuse Fare At Home?

In their 14 games at home, Syracuse has a 6-8 record vs. the spread while going 10-4 straight-up. On offense, the Orange are shooting 49.0% on their home floor, leading to 79.4 points per game. Defensively, opponents are shooting 41.5% in these contests. The Syracuse defense is allowing 69.6 points per game at home.

Offense vs. Defense

For the season, Virginia is averaging 62.6 points per game (431st) while posting an overall field goal percentage of 44.9%. In today’s game, they will be matched up against a Syracuse defense that has allowed an average of 70.7 points per contest. This year, opponents have hit 41.8% of their shots vs. Syracuse. On the other side, the Syracuse Orange are coming into the game averaging 77.4 points per game on a shooting percentage of 45.0%. The Orange will be facing a defensive unit allowing an average of 60.1 points per contest. So far, teams have hit 40.8% of their shots vs. the Cavaliers.

Three-Point Shooting

From beyond the arc, Virginia has a shooting percentage of 32.2% while ranking 646th in attempts per game. The Cavaliers will be facing a Syracuse defense that has a 3-point field goal shooting percentage allowed of 33.5%. Syracuse enters the game having hit 37.7% of their looks from deep while averaging 9.09 made 3’s per game. On the other end, Virginia has allowed opponents to hit 34.6% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Injuries Of Note

Virginia

• No Reported Injuries

Syracuse

• Peter Carey (Out) Knee

Pick Against The Spread

I’m going to go with the total here. In their earlier meeting in Virginia, the Orange started out really slow, with just 26 points scored with over 24 minutes played on the game clock. They scored 40 points in the 15.40 minutes of that game. Now, of course, the Cavs were up big at that point, 47-26, so you could speculate that maybe they weren’t playing their best D. That said, both teams love the three, and neither of the defenses could defend. I think tonight, both teams will have enough success to push this over the 132.5 line. Take the Over 132.5