Syracuse basketball has an opportunity this Saturday to pick up its best win of the 2022-23 season, when the Orange travels to No. 11 Virginia in an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.
The ‘Cuse (10-5, 3-1 in the ACC) has won two straight and seven of its last eight games, after the Orange squeaked by Louisville on the road by one point earlier this week.
The ‘Cuse victory versus the Cardinals, by no means, was a pretty performance for Syracuse basketball, but anytime the ‘Cuse can grab an ACC conquest on the road, it’s a good thing for the Orange’s resume.
Against Louisville, senior shooting guard Joe Girard III was simply fabulous, save for his five turnovers. Otherwise, though, Girard tallied 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
He also made several big-time shots from the field and the free-throw line to help propel the Orange to a win – the team’s second ACC road victory to date in the early part of the conference calendar.
The Cavaliers (10-3, 2-2), meanwhile, started out 2022-23 red hot, prevailing in their first eight encounters, and that included quality triumphs over Baylor, Illinois and Michigan.
Lately, though, UVA has lost three of five. Those setbacks were to highly rated Houston, at Miami and at Pittsburgh by three points (the Panthers knocked off Syracuse basketball not too long ago in Central New York by two points).
Syracuse basketball at No. 11 Virginia odds
When I published this column, actionnetwork.com had the Cavaliers as an 11-point betting favorite over the Orange, with the over/under set at 127.0 points.
Syracuse basketball at No. 11 Virginia prediction
In their all-time series together, the ‘Cuse is just 6-11 versus the Cavaliers, according to orangehoops.org.
Most recently, on Jan. 1, 2022, Syracuse basketball put up a fight against Virginia on the Hill, but UVA would come out on top, 74-69.
As is often the case under head coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers shine on the defensive end of the court, allowing just 59.1 points per encounter, which when I wrote this piece put them in the top 15 across the country, according to NCAA statistics.
UVA players also take excellent care of the ball, as this squad only commits 9.8 turnovers per encounter. Virginia isn’t an explosive-scoring group, averaging 69.8 points per game.
However, the Cavaliers are connecting on 45.9 percent from the field, 70.9 percent from the charity stripe, and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Syracuse basketball has not been consistent on the glass so far in 2022-23, but the Orange does average about four more rebounds per contest than Virginia.
The ‘Cuse can ill-afford to give up a lot of offensive rebounds and second-chance points to UVA. What’s more, Syracuse basketball committed a whopping 15 turnovers at Louisville.
That won’t do versus a disciplined Virginia team. While the Cavaliers have somewhat struggled lately, I’ll reluctantly take UVA to defeat the Orange at home.
Injuries, how to watch, live stream, next game
On the injury front, I’m not aware of any immensely significant injuries to note as the Orange eyes a third consecutive victory.
That being said, per a report from Syracuse.com, senior guard Symir Torrence didn’t play at all versus the Cardinals this past Tuesday night due to an injury. Certainly, we’ll stay on top of this topic throughout the current term.
The ‘Cuse and the Cavaliers will tip off beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, Jan. 7, from John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. The ACC Network will air this enticing conference clash.
For Syracuse basketball and Virginia fans who want to stream this game, you can check it out on fuboTV.
After the Orange faces the Cavaliers, the ‘Cuse will return to the JMA Wireless Dome to host Virginia Tech. This league encounter will commence at 7 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 11, with regional sports networks providing TV coverage.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.