Maryland Terrapins vs Syracuse Orange NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Looking to win big? The Terrapins and Orange face off at 12:00 ET on ESPN. The Orange are hosting the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Maryland is favored by -12.5 in this non-conference contest against Syracuse. The game’s over/under currently sits at 154.5 points.

MARYLAND TERRAPINS VS SYRACUSE ORANGE BETTING PICK

The Pick: Syracuse Orange +12.5

This game will be played at Barclays Center at 12:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.

WHY BET THE SYRACUSE ORANGE:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-68 in favor of the Orange.
• Not only will Syracuse pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +12.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Can the Terrapins Lock in a Road Win?

Maryland improved to 9-2 on the season with a dominant 111-57 win over Saint Francis U on Tuesday. Playing at home, the Terrapins were -33.5 point favorites and covered the spread. The game’s total points reached 168, surpassing the over/under line of 146.5.

Maryland led 55-29 at halftime and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, outscoring the Red Flash 56-28.

Maryland’s offense was on fire in their last game, putting up 111 points while shooting 61.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 73.5%, thanks to hitting 57.7% of their threes (15/26) and 64.3% of their twos (27/42).

Selton Miguel led the way with 24 points, shooting 76.9% overall and 66.7% from deep. Juan Cranford Jr. added 21 points, hitting 72.7% of his shots. The Terps dished out 25 assists, with Ja’Kobi Gillespie contributing 6 dimes to go along with his 11 points.

Despite Maryland’s defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 57 points. The Terrapins allowed 42 made field goals on 68 attempts, with their opponent shooting 61% from the field.

Maryland’s defense also gave up 15 three-pointers on 26 attempts, with their opponent shooting 57% from beyond the arc. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 12 free throws.

Will the Orange Win at Home?

Syracuse fell to 5-5 on the season after a 75-71 home loss to Georgetown on Saturday. The Orange were +1 underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game came in at 146, just under the O/U line of 152.

After a 37-37 tie at halftime, Syracuse was outscored 38-34 in the second half. They’ll need to tighten up defensively and find ways to close out games as they look to bounce back.

Syracuse put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 42.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 46.3%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 16 attempts (25%), but connected on 50% of their two-point shots (19/38). At the free-throw line, they made 21 of 29 attempts, good for 72.4%.

Jayden Epps led the way with 27 points, shooting 73.3% overall and 66.7% from three (4/6). Eddie Lampkin added 18 points, hitting 66.7% of his shots, while Thomas Sorber contributed 16 points despite missing all 5 of his three-point attempts. Syracuse recorded 10 offensive rebounds and 12 assists in the game.

Syracuse’s defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field. They allowed 19 two-point baskets on 38 attempts, a 50% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Syracuse held their opponent to 4 threes on 16 attempts, a 25% success rate. The Orange also sent the other team to the line 29 times, where they hit 21 free throws, a 72% shooting performance.