#4 Syracuse Orange at Maryland Terrapins
Comcast Center – College Park, Maryland
Monday, February 24, 2014, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Syracuse -3
Current Line: Syracuse -4
Opening Total: 129 1/2
Current Total: 131
Opening Money Line: Syracuse -185 / Maryland +160
Current Money Line: Syracuse -200 / Maryland +170
After a 25-0 start, the Syracuse Orange have lost two straight games by a total of 9 points. Last Wednesday, Syracuse was upset at home against Boston College in overtime. Saturday, the Orange traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time ever to face the Duke Blue Devils. Syracuse trailed by 2 with just over 10 seconds left, and had possession. Syracuse forward C.J. Fair drove to the hoop and dunked. However, referees called a controversial charge. Infuriated Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim ran onto the court and began to berate the official who made the call. Boeheim was given two technical fouls and ejected from the game for the first time in his career in a regular season game. Duke made 3 of the 4 technical free throws effectively putting the game on ice. Duke held on for the 66-60 win. The loss dropped Syracuse to 12-2 in the ACC a game and a half behind 14-1 Virginia.
The Orange look to rebound as they travel to the 15-12 Maryland Terrapins Monday night. Maryland is 7-7 in the ACC and tied with North Carolina state for 7th place. The Terrapins are a longshot at best to make the NCAA tournament but could play spoiler in the ACC in their last year in the conference before departing for the Big Ten next season.
Maryland leads the series against Syracuse 5-2, but the Orange have won the last 2 games in the series. Syracuse won the last meeting 88-72 at home in the 2008 NIT. Syracuse and Maryland have played a non-tournament game against each other, and have met in the NCAA tournament twice. This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in their first and only season as conference rivals.
Syracuse has key wins over Cornell and Fordham at home, Minnesota, California, and Baylor (all in the Maui Invitational), Indiana at home, at St. John’s, and Villanova at home. In conference, Syracuse has home wins over Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh Duke, Notre Dame , Clemson, and North Carolina State plus road wins at Virginia Tech, Boston College, Miami, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh. The Orange are 13-8-2 ATS and the total is 6-14-2 this season.
Syracuse is outscoring teams 70-58 this season. The Orange are #7 nationally in points allowed. Syracuse is shooting 45.4% from the field and 35.7.3% from 3 point range. The Orange make 70.5% of their free throws. Syracuse opponents are shooting 40.4% from the field and 33.7% from 3 point range. The Orange average 35.4 rebounds per game and opponents average 27.2 per game. Syracuse is #19 nationally in rebounds allowed. The Orange average 13 assists, 9.4 turnovers, 8.9 steals and 5.1 blocks per game. Opponents average 13 assists, 14.2 turnovers, 4.5 steals and 2.8 blocks per game.
Syracuse forward C.J. Fair averages 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Guard Trevor Cooney averages 14.1 points, 2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Forward Jerami Grant averages 12.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Guard Tyler Ennis averages 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Forward Rakeem Christmas averages 5.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Forward DeJuan Coleman averages 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game but is out for the season with a knee injury. Michael Gbinije, Tyler Roberson, and Baye-Moussa Keita also get significant minutes in the rotation. Keita is questionable with a knee injury.
Maryland is coached by Mark Turgeon. The Terrapins have losses to Connecticut in Brooklyn, Oregon State, at Ohio State, George Washington in DC, Boston University, Pittsburgh twice, at Florida State, at NC State, at North Carolina, at Virginia and at Duke. Maryland has key wins over Marist, Northern Iowa, and Providence in a tournament in the Virgin Islands, at Boston College, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Miami, at Virginia Tech, Florida State and last Tuesday versus Wake Forest 71-60. Maryland is 13-10 ATS and the total is 11-11-1 this season.
Maryland is outscoring teams 73-69 this season. The Terrapins are shooting 44.1% from the field and 35.7% from 3 point range. Maryland makes 66.4% of their free throws. Terrapin opponents are shooting 42.4% from the field and 36.8% from 3 point range. Maryland averages 37.9 rebounds per game and opponents average 29.8 per game. The Terps average 12.2 assists, 13 turnovers, 6.3 assists, and 4.4 blocks per game. Opponents average 11.7 assists, 13 turnovers, 6.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.
Guard/forward Dez Wells averages 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1 steal per game. Guard Seth Allen averages 12.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Guard/forward Jake Layman averages 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block per game. Forward Evan Smotrycz averages 11.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Guard Nick Faust averages 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Forward Charles Mitchell averages 6.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Roddy Peters, Shaquille Cleare, and Jonathan Graham will also get significant minutes in the rotation.
Syracuse is 5-0-1 in road games, 3-0-1 against teams with winning home records, 12-5-2 against teams with winning records. and 13-6-2 overall.
Maryland is 4-0 ATS against teams with winning records, overall, and against ACC teams, 6-2 in Monday games, 5-2 at home, and 11-5 after a cover.
Syracuse can’t afford another stumble with a game at first place Virginia coming up this weekend. I don’t see Syracuse over looking this team, but Maryland has narrow losses at Virginia and Duke recently. The Terps hang around for awhile, but the Orange pull away late.
