The UKG Legends traditional kicks off with a matchup between the Syracuse Orange and the Texas Longhorns.
Whereas Syracuse is undefeated, it’s nonetheless looking for an id in spite of everything three wins have been shut calls in opposition to Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State.
Alternatively, Texas dropped its first sport to a tricky Ohio State squad however has since dealt with enterprise with three consecutive double-digit wins over bottom-dwelling opponents.
What can we anticipate from this matchup?
Syracuse vs. Texas odds
(7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
| Staff | Unfold | Moneyline | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | +11 (-112) | +440 | o156 (-110) |
| Texas | -11 (-108) | -600 | u156 (-110) |
Syracuse vs. Texas prediction
Rather a lot has modified for the Orange for the reason that Jim Boeheim days.
For one, Syracuse doesn’t lean on its notorious 2-3 zone, defending man-to-man on almost each possession.
Moreover, the Orange are a a lot quicker group below head coach Adrian Autry than they had been with Boeheim on the helm.
They rank fiftieth in adjusted tempo (KenPom) this season and had been thirty ninth in that very same metric through the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
Syracuse put collectively a decent 2023-24 season, going 20-12 and ending sixth within the ACC.
General, It was a down yr for the convention, however the Orange had some vivid moments.
To place Syracuse’s shut calls in context, UConn beat Le Moyne by 41 factors and Colgate dropped a sport by 23 factors to an N.C. State group that misplaced 4 of its prime 5 scorers from its Cinderella group final season.
In the meantime, the Longhorns rank within the prime 30 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiencies this season and have posted 89 or extra factors of their previous three outings.
They need to have sufficient firepower to make some noise within the SEC, which presently has 12 groups in KenPom’s prime 50 in adjusted effectivity margin.
Frankly, I see a whole lot of potential for a blowout on this sport, with the Orange’s protection being a notable difficulty.
Betting on School Basketball?
Syracuse vs Texas decide
Syracuse ranks 174th in adjusted defensive effectivity (KenPom), 233rd in opponent efficient area purpose proportion and 308th in opponent factors per sport regardless of not enjoying a single group ranked within the prime half of KenPom’s adjusted effectivity margin metric nationally.
The one method I see the Orange retaining this sport shut is that if JJ Starling (21.3 PPG, 55.6% taking pictures) goes nuclear, which is feasible.
Nevertheless, the Longhorns have a number of defenders they will throw his method, altering their appears to be like and schemes on that finish of the ground all through the sport to maintain him out of rhythm.
Texas is in a great spot right here to get its first high quality win through a double-digit pummeling.
THE PICK: Texas -11 (-112, DraftKings)
Why Belief New York Submit Betting
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, faculty basketball and soccer, UFC and golf. In the course of the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA unfold picks and main Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.
