Syracuse basketball is nearly a dozen-point betting underdog at No. 16 North Carolina on Monday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
When I wrote this article on Monday morning, FanDuel had the Tar Heels as an 11.5-point betting favorite over the Orange at home, with the over/under set at 156.5 points. The 'Cuse snapped a four-game losing streak when it beat Notre Dame this past Saturday night at home, but SU faces a tough task on Monday evening.
In their all-time series together, the Orange is just 7-18 against UNC, and Syracuse basketball is 0-7 in Chapel Hill. The Orange (13-9 overall, 4-5 in ACC) and the Tar Heels (17-4 overall, 5-3 in ACC) will tip off at 7:00 pm EST on February 2 at the Dean E. Smith Center, with television coverage on ESPN.
Key metrics for Syracuse basketball at No. 16 North Carolina on Monday.
Syracuse basketball
NCAA NET ranking: No. 72 overall
Home record: 10-4
Neutral-site record: 1-3
Road record: 2-2
Quadrant-one record: 1-4
Quadrant-two record: 1-3
Quadrant-three record: 4-2
Quadrant-four record: 7-0
KenPom rating: No. 70 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 83
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 69
North Carolina
NCAA NET ranking: No. 25 overall
Home record: 12-0
Neutral-site record: 2-1
Road record: 3-3
Quadrant-one record: 4-3
Quadrant-two record: 1-1
Quadrant-three record: 6-0
Quadrant-four record: 6-0
KenPom rating: No. 29 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 18
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 53
The Tar Heels, based on these metrics, seem to have a pretty fantastic offense on a national scale. That will test an Orange defense that started off the 2025-26 season strong but has cooled off more recently.
In its win over Notre Dame on the Hill over the weekend, Syracuse basketball shot well from the field, something that it doesn't always do. To stun UNC on the road, the 'Cuse will have to play well over a full 40 minutes, and not just in the first half or the second half.
What's more, SU can't get into a track meet with the Tar Heels. Attempting to outscore North Carolina is probably not the right move for Syracuse basketball. Rather, the Orange will want to slow the game down, focus on solid defense and rebounding well, and being efficient in its half-court offensive sets. Getting easy buckets following UNC turnovers will also be critical.
Monday night's Atlantic Coast Conference affair is a quadrant-one opportunity for the 'Cuse and a massively challenging game. I hope Syracuse basketball can spring an upset or, at a minimum, be competitive against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.