PREMIUM
Rogers' Sweet 16 TOTAL DOMINATION >> 2-0 with Tournament Totals!
(NCAAB) Syracuse vs. Duke,
Total: 133.00 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 133.00 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
The set-up: The Syracuse Orange may have been given the last available at-large bid but no one is dissing Syracuse theses days, surely not the Duke Blue Devils. The 11th-seeded Orange meet the second-seeded Blue Devils tonight at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha in Midwest Regional Sweet 16 action. Syracuse (now 23-13) pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the NCAA Tournament so far, knocking off third-seeded Michigan State 55-53 this past Sunday. Boeheim's famed zone defense held Michigan State to just five points over the final 5:43 of regulation, as the Spartans shot just 25.8% for the game, including 8-of-37 on threes. Duke warmed up with a win over Iona, then put together one of its best performances of the season, defeating the No. 7-seed Rhode Island Rams 87-62 this past Saturday. Duke dominated on both ends of the court, shooting 56.9% from the floor (including 10-of-21 on threes), while holding Rhode Island to just 39.7% shooting.
Syracuse. The Orange have been winning games this tourney (three, already!) by slowing down the pace and playing outstanding defense. Syracuse has scored just 60, 57 and 55 points in its three wins but has allowed just 56, 52 and 53 points in those contests. The Orange feature just three players capable of scoring. Guard Battle leads with 19.2 PPG, 6-8 freshman Brissett adds 14.9 & 8.4 plus PG Howard checks in at 14.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. No other Syracuse player averages as much as six points. Incredibly, Syracuse has won three games this tourney (only team to do so), by shooting a combined 11 of 42 (26.2%) on threes. One could add, you can't make this up! I will also add that Syracuse owns the tallest starting-five in the tourney. Guards Battle and Howard are 6-6 and 6-5, respectively, while the 6-8 Brissett is joined up front by the 7-2 Chukwu and the 6-9 Dolezaj.
Duke: All know by now that Duke features senior Gray son Allen (15.6 PPG & 4.6 APG) plus four outstanding freshman. The 6-11 Bagley (21.2 & 11.3) may be the No. 1 pick in the draft and frontcourt partner, the 6-10 Carter (13.6 & 9.2), won't be far behind. Joining Allen on the perimeter are Trent (14.4 & 4.3) and PG Duval (10.2 & 5.6). Duke averages 84.9 PPG (6th) on 49.6% shooting (10th), while playing excellent D (allows 69.3PPG on 40.2% shooting).
The pick: Duke is gunning for its third national title since 2010 under Coach K, who is behind only Kentucky's John Calipari in recruiting "one-and-dones" over the last few seasons. Coach K and Boeheim are longtime rivals but also friends and there will be no surprises in this game. The Orange are 7-1 as a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, the best such win percentage all time (that's SU, not ATS!).However, Blue Devils are the most talented team in the tourney, AND, they are healthy. No team has trended up more than Duke has since Feb. 8, when the Blue Devils lost on the road to North Carolina. Duke has scored at least 85 points in back-to-back NCAA games for the first time since 2004, when it lost to UConn in the Final Four. Duke won its first two tournament games by 20-plus points and the other two times that happened, the Blue Devils reached the Final Four. Syracuse won't beat Duke in a low-scoring game. I heard heard a Boehein interview in which he said he's beaten Duke in teh past by outscoring the Blue Devils. Make the Over an 8* play.
Syracuse. The Orange have been winning games this tourney (three, already!) by slowing down the pace and playing outstanding defense. Syracuse has scored just 60, 57 and 55 points in its three wins but has allowed just 56, 52 and 53 points in those contests. The Orange feature just three players capable of scoring. Guard Battle leads with 19.2 PPG, 6-8 freshman Brissett adds 14.9 & 8.4 plus PG Howard checks in at 14.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. No other Syracuse player averages as much as six points. Incredibly, Syracuse has won three games this tourney (only team to do so), by shooting a combined 11 of 42 (26.2%) on threes. One could add, you can't make this up! I will also add that Syracuse owns the tallest starting-five in the tourney. Guards Battle and Howard are 6-6 and 6-5, respectively, while the 6-8 Brissett is joined up front by the 7-2 Chukwu and the 6-9 Dolezaj.
Duke: All know by now that Duke features senior Gray son Allen (15.6 PPG & 4.6 APG) plus four outstanding freshman. The 6-11 Bagley (21.2 & 11.3) may be the No. 1 pick in the draft and frontcourt partner, the 6-10 Carter (13.6 & 9.2), won't be far behind. Joining Allen on the perimeter are Trent (14.4 & 4.3) and PG Duval (10.2 & 5.6). Duke averages 84.9 PPG (6th) on 49.6% shooting (10th), while playing excellent D (allows 69.3PPG on 40.2% shooting).
The pick: Duke is gunning for its third national title since 2010 under Coach K, who is behind only Kentucky's John Calipari in recruiting "one-and-dones" over the last few seasons. Coach K and Boeheim are longtime rivals but also friends and there will be no surprises in this game. The Orange are 7-1 as a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, the best such win percentage all time (that's SU, not ATS!).However, Blue Devils are the most talented team in the tourney, AND, they are healthy. No team has trended up more than Duke has since Feb. 8, when the Blue Devils lost on the road to North Carolina. Duke has scored at least 85 points in back-to-back NCAA games for the first time since 2004, when it lost to UConn in the Final Four. Duke won its first two tournament games by 20-plus points and the other two times that happened, the Blue Devils reached the Final Four. Syracuse won't beat Duke in a low-scoring game. I heard heard a Boehein interview in which he said he's beaten Duke in teh past by outscoring the Blue Devils. Make the Over an 8* play.
