Syracuse basketball vs. Virginia Tech odds, prediction and how to watch

Two Atlantic Coast Conference teams looking to bolster their potential post-season resumes will do battle this Wednesday night in Central New York, as Syracuse basketball is set to host Virginia Tech at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Most recently, the Orange went 1-1 on a two-game road trip, first defeating Louisville by one point before falling by seven points to then-No. 11 Virginia this past weekend.

As we recently discussed, the ‘Cuse (10-6, 3-2 in the ACC) has to clean things up in the turnover department, senior center Jesse Edwards has to get going on offense, and Syracuse basketball needs to avoid falling behind its foes early in these ACC clashes.

For the Hokies, they raced out to an 11-1 start during the 2022-23 season, but since then, Virginia Tech has dropped four in a row, albeit by a combined 14 points at Boston College, at Wake Forest, and then at home versus Clemson and N.C. State.

In his latest bracketology update for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed Virginia Tech (11-5, 1-4) among his first four out.

Taking a look at the Hokies’ schedule to date, they do have wins over squads including Penn State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Dayton and Oklahoma State. Besides the four setbacks we already noted, Virginia Tech also fell on the road by two points to Charleston, which is presently 16-1 and No. 22 in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll.

My biggest takeaway here is that the Hokies, even when they lose, play their opponents extremely tough. Syracuse basketball recently had won seven of eight, but if you delve into the team’s 2022-23 stanza as a whole, the Orange has been up and down, and the ‘Cuse doesn’t have any top-flight victories on its current resume.

At the time of this writing, Virginia Tech resided at No. 50 in the NCAA NET rankings, and it is 0-3 on the road in the current campaign. The Orange, conversely, is 7-3 at the Dome and had a NET rating of No. 131, which is not good at all.

Syracuse basketball vs. Virginia Tech odds

When I published this column, actionnetwork.com had installed the Hokies as a 2.5-point betting favorite over the Orange, with the over/under set at 139.5 points.

Syracuse basketball vs. Virginia Tech prediction

Per orangehoops.org, the Orange is 12-5 against the Hokies in their all-time series together. Most recently, Virginia Tech defeated Syracuse basketball, 71-59, in Blacksburg, Va., in February of 2022.

At this juncture in 2022-23, there are a lot of statistical categories where the ‘Cuse and the Hokies are relatively even, according to data on the ESPN Web site. Virginia Tech averages 74.3 points per game and allows 64.8 points.

The Orange, meanwhile, scores 74.6 points per encounter and gives up 69.3 points. Rebounding is basically identical. So, too, are assists dished out per contest. Syracuse basketball has advantages in blocked shots and steals.

Virginia Tech commits two fewer turnovers per affair than the ‘Cuse, and that could loom large. The squads’ shooting percentages from the field, the charity stripe and 3-point land are almost mirror images of each other.

Candidly, I have no idea which group to pick in this league battle. I think it’s going to be a close game. On the one hand, Syracuse basketball is at home. And the Hokies have struggled lately. But perhaps that means Virginia Tech is due for a triumph, and the Hokies never get blown out.

I’ll wear my Orange-colored glasses here and go with the ‘Cuse to squeak by Virginia Tech on the Hill by a couple of points.

Injuries, how to watch, live stream, next game
On the injury front, I’m not aware of any significant injuries to note as the Orange seeks to return to the win column. Last Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., sophomore forward Benny Williams didn’t play at the Cavaliers due to an illness, per SU Athletics.

Certainly, we’ll keep tabs on Williams’ status for the ‘Cuse game against Virginia Tech and continue to monitor the injury front for Syracuse basketball in the 2022-23 season.

The Orange will host the Hokies beginning at 7 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 11, in Central New York. Regional sports networks will televise this contest.

For Syracuse basketball and Virginia Tech fans who want to stream this game, you can check it out on fuboTV.

After the ‘Cuse goes toe to toe with the Hokies, Syracuse basketball will again square off at the Dome, this time against Notre Dame. The Orange will host the Fighting Irish starting at 7 pm on Saturday, Jan. 14, with TV coverage on the ACC Network.

In early December, Syracuse basketball went on the road and knocked off Notre Dame, 62-61.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.