2013 Sweet 16 Syracuse vs. Indiana March Madness Picks & Predictions
By ATSSportsline.com
WASHINGTON, DC (ATS Consultants) - Will the fourth-seeded Syracuse Orange trip up top-seeded Indiana when the Sweet 16 kicks off tonight at 9:45PM ET?
ODDS: According to odds makers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Hoosiers are 5.5-point favorites over the Orange, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 135.5 points. Indiana enters play with a 29-6 overall record while Syracuse is 28-9 on the year.
LINE MOVEMENT: Indiana opened as a 3.5-point favorite but the spread has been bet up to 5 or 5.5 depending on what sports book you view. As for the total, it opened at 135 and has been bet up to 135.5 at most online and Vegas sports books.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the current wagers placed on tonight’s game, 54% of the betting public favors Syracuse. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the “Public Betting” link leading up to tip off.
MARCH MADNESS FREE PICK: Take Syracuse. According to latest college basketball trends, Syracuse is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. Indiana is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall, 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games and 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
Syracuse (28-9 SU, 18-15 ATS) is coming off a 66-60 win over California, giving 7.5 on Saturday. Indiana (29-6 SU, 17-15-1 ATS) held off Temple, 58-52 giving 12 on Sunday. Syracuse offers a dynamic team that can beat anybody in the country. They are tough to defend but even tough to score against due to the 2-3 zone defense. Teams shoot just 28.9 percent from three-point range against that zone defense and 37.3 percent overall. Syracuse shoots 44.1 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from beyond the arc. That zone defense will be tested by an Indiana team that shoots 40.8 percent from three-point range. But Syracuse defends the perimeter well because of 6-4 Brandon Triche and 6-6 Michael Carter-Williams. Syracuse held Pac-12 Player of the Year Allen Crabbe to just eight points, which was two shy of his season low. California shot 4-of-21 from beyond the arc, which is not a good sign for the Hoosiers. Indiana will try and get the ball inside to Cody Zeller (7-0, 240), but he'll have to go through Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 242) and DaJuan Coleman (6-9, 288). Zeller is not fond of contact and will need to use his finesse. Syracuse is tough to defend because they have several options including C.J. Fair (6-8, 215), who averages 14.5 points and 6.9 rebounds. He had 18 points against California, though the x-factor for Syracuse is smooth-shooting James Southerland (6-8, 215), who shoots 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Orange should take this one outright.
2013 MARCH MADNESS SWEET 16 FREE PICK: SYRACUSE ORANGE +5.5
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