Georgetown Hoyas at Syracuse Orange, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Syracuse -4.5
Current Line: Syracuse -4.5
Opening Total: 139.5
Current Total: 140.5
Money Line: Syracuse -200 / Georgetown +170
The 12th-ranked Syracuse Orange (20-4, 7-4 Big East) hope to have put their struggles behind them when they host their biggest conference rivals on Wednesday in the 11th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas (18-5, 7-4). The Orange (-4.5) seem to have rebounded from a season-high four-game skid by posting consecutive wins while the Hoyas enter this contest as the league’s hottest team, riding a six-game winning streak.
Georgetown had a season-high eight-game winning streak to start the year, but this current run is even more impressive considering the level of competition in the Big East. The two top wins for the Hoyas recently have both been decided by three points, 69-66 at #9 Villanova and 62-59 at home against #16 Louisville. They dodged an upset by Providence at home on Saturday, overcoming a game-high 43 points from Marshon Brooks in an 83-81 victory.
Leading scorer Austin Freeman continues to be an offensive force for Georgetown, as he has averaged over 22 points per game during the winning streak. Freeman scored a team-high 23 points against the Friars on 9 of 15 shooting, making only 1 of 5 shots from 3-point range. He averaged nearly 21 points in three meetings with Syracuse last season.
The Orange have dominated the Hoyas at the Carrier Dome since 2002, winning six straight meetings with them there along with 11 of 12. However, Georgetown upset Syracuse in last year’s Big East tournament 91-84 as a 5.5-point underdog, giving the home team plenty of motivation to keep its series streak at the Dome going.
Jim Boeheim would become only the fifth head coach in history to achieve 850 career wins by beating the Hoyas, and he has certainly had one of his most difficult challenges this season. Boeheim has denied point-shaving allegations during the team’s recent losing streak that followed an impressive 18-0 start. He has a young team led by just one senior in forward Rick Jackson and avoided the longest losing streak of his career by winning at #10 Connecticut a week ago, 66-58.
Jackson leads the conference in field-goal percentage (58.3) and rebounding (11.5 per game) and is coming off a monster game in a 72-49 rout of South Florida on Saturday. He totaled a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Bulls en route to the team’s second straight cover.
“We were at a dark point,” Jackson said. “Right now we’re playing well. Guys are confident. I think we’re all playing how we’re supposed to be playing.”
The Orange are 7-2 against the spread in the last nine meetings with Georgetown with the OVER going 5-1 in the past six. Syracuse has seen the UNDER cash in its last three game overall while the UNDER is also 3-1 in the past four overall for the Hoyas.
Now that you have read this Big East college basketball betting preview featuring Syracuse & Georgetown, check out the NCAA basketball odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
