Syracuse Orange vs Tennessee Volunteers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/3/24
Planning on watching today’s Orange and Volunteers game? Catch the action at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN, as the Volunteers hosts this showdown at 7:30 ET on ESPN. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 143.5 points, with Tennessee being favored by -18.5 over Syracuse.
SYRACUSE ORANGE VS TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Syracuse Orange +18.5
This game will be played at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center at 7:30 ET on Tuesday, December 3rd.
WHY BET THE SYRACUSE ORANGE:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-73 in favor of the Volunteers.
- Even though we have Tennessee winning straight-up, we like Syracuse at +18.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 143.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Can the Orange Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?
Syracuse improved to 7-0 on the season with an 82-72 win over Cornell on Wednesday. The Orange, who were -9.5 favorites, covered the spread in the victory. The combined points for the game ended at 154, below the O/U line of 164.5.
Syracuse led 39-28 at halftime and added 43 points in the 2nd half. However, they allowed Cornell to score 44 points after the break, which is something they’ll need to address moving forward.
Syracuse put up 82 points in their latest game, shooting 41.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. They connected on 17 of 20 free throws, good for 85%, and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. The Orange also dished out 13 assists.
Elijah Moore hit 5 threes, shooting 71.4% from deep and finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Donnie Freeman led the team with 23 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field. Guy Ragland Jr. also added 5 threes, contributing 17 points and 4 rebounds.
Syracuse’s defense gave up 72 points while allowing the opponent to shoot 41% from the field. The Orange held their opponent to 41% on two-point attempts, with 25 made shots on 60 attempts.
From beyond the arc, Syracuse’s defense allowed 5 threes on 13 attempts, a 38% shooting rate. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 20 times, where they made 17 free throws, shooting 85%. Syracuse gave up 13 offensive rebounds.
Is a Home Win Possible for the Volunteers?
The Volunteers continued their strong start to the season with a dominant 78-35 win over UT Martin on Wednesday, moving to 7-0. Playing at home, Tennessee entered the game as heavy favorites, with a -37.5 point spread, and they covered it comfortably. The total points for the game were 113, well below the O/U line of 142.5.
Tennessee led 35-20 at halftime and turned up the intensity in the 2nd half, scoring 43 points while holding the Skyhawks to just 15.
Tennessee’s offense put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 47.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%. They were dominant inside, hitting 76.9% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, making just 27% of their threes (10/37).
The Volunteers also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and dished out 22 assists. Chaz Lanier and Josue Grullon each scored 18 points, with Grullon adding 3 rebounds. Zakai Zeigler contributed 11 points and 9 assists, shooting 30% from three-point range.
Even though Tennessee allowed 35 points, they struggled defensively, giving up a 47% shooting performance from the field. The Volunteers were particularly vulnerable inside, where they allowed their opponent to hit 76% of their two-point shots, going 20/26.
From beyond the arc, Tennessee’s defense held their opponent to 27% shooting, with 10 made threes on 37 attempts. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 10 times, where they converted 8 of those attempts. Tennessee gave up 20 offensive rebounds.