Big East Basketball Betting: A Look at Providence-Syracuse

Providence Friars at Syracuse Orange, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Tuesday, December 28, 2010, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPNU
Opening Line: Syracuse -12
Current Line: Syracuse -13
Opening Total: 153
Current Total: 154
Money Line: Syracuse -1000 / Providence +700

The Syracuse Orangemen take on the Providence Friars in the Carrier Dome to open Big East Play. The Orange are 13 point favorites.

In the Big East opener for both teams the 11-2 Providence Friars travel to upstate New York to take on the 5th ranked 13-0 Syracuse Orange. Providence is off to their best start since they started 13-0 in the 1988-89 season. Providence has losses to LaSalle and Boston College on the season. They really haven’t beaten anybody except for Alabama and Rhode Island. Syracuse is 13-0 and is trying to go to 14-0 for the first time in 11 seasons. Syracuse has played a difficult schedule so far and has wins over Northern Iowa, Michigan, Georgia Tech, North Carolina St, and Michigan St. The Big East has 5 teams in the top 10, but Syracuse doesn’t play any of those teams until January 17. The Big East is so tough that there are no easy games. The Orange can’t afford to trip up against a tough Providence team as a loss would put them in a hole in the conference standings. Syracuse is 9-2 ATS against teams averaging more than 77 points a game over the last 2 seasons. Syracuse is 2-1 ATS and straight up in the last three games versus Providence. Two of the three meetings have gone over the total.

Providence is outscoring opponents 81-68 on the season. The Friars are shooting 45.6% from the field and 31.5% from 3 point range. The Friars are holding opponents to 40.9% shooting from the field. Providence makes 69.2% of their free throws. Guard-Forward Marshon Brooks leads the team in scoring (23.1 ppg) and steals (2 a game). He averages 8.9 rebounds a game. Point Guard Vincent Council leads the team in assists with 6.8 a game and also scores 16 points a game. Guard Gerard Coleman scores 10 points a game. Forward-Center Bilal Dixon leads the team in rebounds (9.2 a game) and blocks with 2.6 a game. The Friars average 42.5 rebounds a game and have a rebounding margin of +8.4. They average 14.1 assists and 13.5 turnovers a game They average 8.5 steals a game and 6.5 blocks a game.

Syracuse is outscoring opponents 77-59 on the season. They are shooting 47.8% from the field and 37.1% from 3 point range. The Orange are holding opponents to 37.1% shooting from the field. Syracuse is only shooting 65.9% from the free throw line. Forward Kris Joseph leads the team in scoring with 14 points a game. Joseph leads the team is steals with 1.3 a game and averages 5.1 rebounds a game. Power forward Rick Jackson is averaging a double double with 13.9 ppg and 11.8 rebounds a game. Jackson also averages 2.0 blocks a game to lead the team. Point Guard Scoop Jardine averages 13.3 points a game and leads the team in assists with 5.9 a game. The Orange average 40.4 rebounds a game and have a rebounding margin of +6.3. The Orange average 17.7 assists and 11.1 turnovers a game. They also average 9.5 steals and 6.5 blocks a game.

Providence is off to a great start this season but they haven’t played a team nearly as talented as Syracuse. It will be a good test for the Friars to play in the very loud Carrier Dome. Syracuse must try and contain Marshon Brooks. Syracuse has much more balanced scoring with the three “J’s” Joseph, Jackson, and Jardine. Providence has a tendency to turn the ball over, something they can’t do if they hope to pull off the upset.