Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds – Orangemen keep rolling over Mountaineers

Syracuse is an online betting darkhorse to reach the Final Four, but they’ve gotten off to a great start this season to get more wagering players to back them. The Orangemen continue their season at West Virginia this weekend in a battle of Big East teams in the top 10, and Syracuse’s potent offense will pick apart the Mountaineers, even on the road.

The Storyline - Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds
The No.5 Orangemen (16-1, 3-1) have won three in a row since losing to Pitt, and this will be the second of three straight road games for Syracuse. The No.10 Mountaineers (13-2, 4-1) return home after a stretch of three road games in four outings, coming off a 69-50 win at Rutgers. The Orangemen have dominated this Big East rivalry as of late, taking nine of their last 10 against the Mountaineers, but they were romped 81-61 in their last trip to Morgantown in 2008.

Offensive Matchups - Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds
The Orangemen are third in the country in scoring, led by double-double threat Wesley Johnson and shooter Andy Rautins. They lead the nation in field-goal percentage at 53.6%, while knocking down 39.3% of their three-point attempts.

West Virginia is 76th in points scored, powered by the combination of Da’Sean Butler and Kevin Jones. Devin Ebanks is struggling from the field in his sophomore season, and while the forward adds beef to the lineup, he has to shoot better than 43.9%.

Betting Edge: Syracuse

Defensive Matchups - Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds
As good as Syracuse is offensively, their sportsbook chances rest with their ability to defend, and they’re currently 89th in the nation in points allowed. However, the Orangemen are holding the opposition to 37.3% from the floor, good for 11th. They’re second in the nation in steals, and there are seven players averaging at least one swipe per game.

The Mountaineers are ninth in rebounding margin, but they allow opponents to shoot 43.5% from the field, which 202nd in the country. Ebanks and Wellington Smith are the team’s shotblockers, averaging just over a block each, but the perimeter defense has to improve, especially outside the three-point line.

Betting Edge: Draw

Coaching Matchup - Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds
Jim Boeheim is coaching Syracuse for the 34th season, and he’s looking to build on last year’s Sweet Sixteen run after two straight trips to the NIT. West Virginia is led by Bob Huggins, who is in his second year in Morgantown. This pair, who coach their alma maters, are two of four active coaches with 600 wins or more, so there’s no shortage of coaching prowess here. Huggins may have the bigger job, as his Mountaineers had high expectations for the season.

Betting Edge: Draw

Betting Prediction - Syracuse vs West Virginia Betting Odds
Something has to give in this Big East showdown, as Syracuse is 3-0 on the road, while West Virginia is 7-0 at home. The Mountaineers will have to keep up with the potent Syracuse offense, and it’ll be interesting to see how they deal with the inside-outside threat of Johnson and Rautins. Opponents are shooting far too well against the Mountaineers, who look to be struggling under their high expectations. Syracuse’s only loss in their last 10 meetings with West Virginia was the 2008 20-point blowout in Morgantown, and the Orangemen have too many weapons for that to happen again. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if it went the other way.

WASHINGTON’S PICK: Syracuse

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