Syracuse Orange Betting Odds – All The Pieces Are In Place

Kansas has better superstars. Kentucky owns better big men. Michigan State has an even better coach (though that’s a bit of nitpicking). However, no team possesses more across-the-board balance than the Syracuse Orange. Coach Jim Boeheim’s ballclub appears poised to reward any sports betting gurus who place their trust in the ‘Cuse.

Syracuse Orange Betting Odds – They Will Go Far In The NCAA Tournament Because…
Why is this team such an attractive NCAA basketball betting choice in March? Syracuse can win in so many ways. Go big, and the Orange will play small ball with guards Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, who come off the bench to give SU a solid seven-man rotation. Go small, and Syracuse will throw its active defense-minded big men, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson, onto the floor. This team can crash the glass and win with power, or it can play a more up-tempo style and shoot threes in transition with Andy Rautins and Wesley Johnson leading the way. The ‘Cuse is also a tough matchup in the NCAA Tournament because opponents from other conferences are not familiar with Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone defense, a well-honed scheme that usually takes some time to figure out.

Great teams can find multiple paths toward the Final Four and the national championship. Syracuse is one of the few ballclubs in America that can play different styles and still advance in a bracket.

Syracuse Orange Betting Odds –They Exit Out Of The Tournament Early Because…
The cloud hanging over this team isn’t related to psychology or temperament; it’s the condition of Wesley Johnson’s right thumb. Johnson – Syracuse’s best player – bruised that thumb in a recent game against Connecticut, and the injury creates pain whenever Johnson catches a pass with his right hand. As a result, the dynamic 6-7 junior forward went just 2 of 11 from the field in a recent win over Villanova. Johnson told the New York Times on Sunday that his hand is “80 percent” healed, but if it doesn’t get better over the remainder of the season, Syracuse will not gain the full measure of Johnson’s scoring ability during the NCAA Tournament. In a close contest, that deficit could become fatal for the regular season Big East champions. It could also change the sportsbook odds for March Madness.

Syracuse Orange Betting Odds – Best Player
If Wesley Johnson can get his hand healed, he’s clearly the team’s best performer. Johnson is blessed with jump-out-of-the-building athleticism, and he can also shoot the ball from distance. Johnson is also a solid help-side defender with an ability to block shots and pose problems with his long reach and wingspan. Even if his hand doesn’t get better, Johnson’s length will make him an important part of Boeheim’s zone defense. Johnson can affect games at the defensive end of the floor while making himself a passer or a decoy at the offensive end of the court.

Syracuse Orange Betting Odds – X-Factor

Andy Rautins is a key figure for the Orange. The 6-4 senior from Jamesville, N.Y., is the son of former Syracuse star Leo Rautins. As you might expect, then, the younger member of the Rautins family is very comfortable within Jim Boeheim’s system. When Andy is on his game and hitting big 3-pointers in key situations, the Orange feed off their spiritual leader and become virtually impossible to beat. On the other hand, when Rautins gets a little too trigger-happy and doesn’t blend into the rest of his team’s offensive sets, Syracuse can get stagnant and allow transition baskets at the other end of the floor. Because Rautins is a senior, though, one shouldn’t expect him to make many bad decisions in March. He’ll simply need to bring his 3-point shooting stroke… at least on the occasions when the Orange get tested.

Syracuse Orange Betting Odds – March Madness Prediction
Because Syracuse can’t play in the East Region, the Orange will go to the South. This means that if SU makes the Final Four, mighty Kansas – likely to be in the Midwest Region – will be the semifinal opponent. (Midwest plays South and East plays West in this year’s Final Four.) That’s a bad matchup for the Orange, but at least this team should get to the Final Four.

Pick: Lose in Final Four National Semifinals

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