Syracuse basketball is a small betting underdog against Miami at home on Saturday afternoon.
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Hurricanes (15-4 overall, 4-2 in the ACC) as a 1.5-point betting favorite versus the Orange on the road, with the over/under set at 150.5 points. The teams will battle in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference clash on Saturday, Jan. 24, beginning at 2:00 pm EST and with television coverage on the ACC Network.
The 'Cuse (12-7 overall, 3-3 in the ACC) is in a rough spot of the 2025-26 season, having lost consecutive games to Boston College on the road and to Virginia Tech at home. For the Orange to have any realistic shot at getting into the at-large conversation for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Syracuse basketball will have to rattle off a ton of high-quality triumphs during the rest of the regular season.
Plus, the fan base is angry, disappointed, frustrated and sad about the state of the Orange program, with some fans calling for a head coaching change now. As a proud SU alum, I'm bummed. No other way to slice it.
Here are additional metrics as Syracuse basketball will host Miami on Saturday afternoon.
Syracuse basketball
NCAA NET ranking: No. 77 overall
Home record: 9-3
Neutral-site record: 1-3
Road record: 2-1
Quadrant-one record: 1-3
Quadrant-two record: 1-2
Quadrant-three record: 2-2
Quadrant-four record: 8-0
KenPom rating: No. 71 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 97
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 57
Miami
NCAA NET ranking: No. 37 overall
Home record: 11-1
Neutral-site record: 1-2
Road record: 3-1
Quadrant-one record: 1-3
Quadrant-two record: 2-0
Quadrant-three record: 3-1
Quadrant-four record: 9-0
KenPom rating: No. 39 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 63
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 32
Without question, the Hurricanes are a formidable opponent and a good team. They will significantly contend for a Big Dance invite. At the same time, the 'Cuse can beat Miami. The 'Canes recently lost at home to Florida State by two points. Earlier this month, Syracuse basketball knocked off the Seminoles by eight points at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The key for the Orange is to play more consistently across both halves. Limit turnovers in each half, have strong offensive flow in each half, shoot efficiently from 3-point land and the free-throw line, and rebound with proficiency. Do that, and the 'Cuse has an excellent shot to pick up a quadrant-two victory on Saturday with many high school football prospects in attendance during a Syracuse football junior day.