UNC vs. Syracuse Prediction, Picks & Odds: Davis to Light Up Orange

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13 February 2024

UNC vs. Syracuse Prediction, Picks & Odds: Davis to Light Up Orange

Our UNC vs. Syracuse prediction based on the best college basketball odds expect RJ Davis to carry the Tar Heels despite the team’s recent struggles.

It's been a wild year for college basketball, as the best teams keep losing. That includes the North Carolina Tar Heels, who have lost to an unranked team twice in their last four games.

UNC dropped winnable games to unranked Georgia Tech and Clemson within the last two weeks, which sandwiched a steamrolling win over No. 7 Duke. However, the Tar Heels remain in the top 10 despite struggling with unrankedMiami in a narrow win on Saturday.

We could see HubertDavis’ program flex itsoffensive muscles against a down-on-its-luck Syracuse team on Tuesdaynight, with our best sports betting sites offering North Carolina as a 7.5 to 8.5-pointfavorite against the Orange - who have struggled defensively in ACC play.

Here is our best UNC vs. Syracuse prediction and our college basketball picks(odds via our best MarchMadness betting sites;pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

UNC vs. Syracuse prediction

RJ Davis Over 21.5points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This season hasn’t gone as smoothly asNorth Carolina Tar Heels fans would like, but the team is ranked No. 7 andlooks like one of the few programs that could actually win the NCAA Tournament.Hubert Davis has a veteran squad with a scoring superstar in RJ Davis, who can take over games and carry the Tar Heels to victory.

Over the last two weeks, NorthCarolina is just 2-2, but Davis has remained a walking bucket. Over thistough four-game stretch, Davis has scored at least 22 points three times and isaveraging 23 points per game. That doesn’t bode well for a Syracuse programthat’s ranked 53rd in adjusted defensive efficiency and is giving up 74.5points per game.

Adrian Autry’s Orange are allowingopponents to shoot 45.1% from the floor, 52.3% from two, and 33.1% from threethis season. The defense has struggled even more in ACC play, allowing 79.2points per game.

In their last four games, the Orange have given up 87 per game, andearlier in the season against UNC, they allowed a season-high 103 points withDavis chipping in 22.

Overall this season, Davis isaveraging 21.5 points per game while shooting 41.4% from three. He’s had atleast 22 points 14 times in 24 games, including in six of his last nine. Overthose nine games, he’s averaging 23.4 points per game.

Tar Heels fans can get ready for the launch of North Carolina sports betting by checking out the best North Carolina sports betting apps. Be sure to take advantage of the best North Carolina sportsbook promos.

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UNC vs. Syracuse best odds

bet365 (-115)

Most of our best sports betting apps are offering the same odds on RJ Davis to finish with Over 21.5 points, as just Caesars has the line at -125.

With Davis’ dominant play this season, it’s goingto be hard to find longer odds than -115, even with 22 points being no easy task.However, the value is there with Syracuse struggling so much on defense thisseason.

The Orange are also 31st in adjustedtempo, and that pace of play lends to opponents seeing plenty of possessions.Teams are averaging 61.8 field goals per game against Syracuse this season,which is in the top 70 in the country.

Davis averages 16.5 shots himself on topof getting to the free throw line 4.5 times per game. That type of usage in afast-paced game can only support him hitting the Over.

UNC vs. Syracuse odds

North Carolina has struggled in recentgames, but with its talent on offense, the Tar Heels opened as 7.5-pointfavorites against Syracuse at our best sportsbooks. The line hastrickled in UNC’s favor with most books having it at -8.

Of our best live betting sites, just FanDuel has North Carolina -7.5 at -120 while BetMGM has the Tar Heels -8.5 at-110. UNC is 14-10 ATS this season, while Syracuse is 9-15.

Given North Carolina’s offensivetalent and Syracuse’s tempo, this game total opened between 154.5 and 157 atour sites with the best sportsbook promos. It has since shifted up to 157 or 157.5at most books. The Tar Heels are 11-12-1 to the Over this season and theOrange are 12-12.