Syracuse Basketball: Oregon vs. Syracuse prediction, odds, more

Syracuse basketball is a small betting underdog in its non-conference collision on Sunday afternoon in South Dakota against Pac-12 Conference school Oregon.

The Orange (7-3), after an extended break following last Saturday’s 12-point win at Georgetown, will face off with the Ducks (7-2) from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

On Sunday, Dec. 17, beginning at 1 pm, Syracuse basketball will look to notch a high-quality non-conference victory in a contest that will air on the CBS Sports Network.

The ‘Cuse has two games remaining in its non-conference docket during the 2023-24 season. First, the Orange will battle Oregon, and then Syracuse basketball will host fellow Empire State team Niagara this coming Thursday, Dec. 21, beginning at 5 pm and with coverage on the ACC Network Extra.

After that, the ‘Cuse will get fully immersed in Atlantic Coast Conference competition, including near-term games against Pittsburgh at home in late December and versus Duke on the road in early January.

Oregon vs. Syracuse basketball odds, spread and total

When I penned this column, DraftKings had the Orange as a 3.5-point betting underdog against the Ducks in South Dakota, with the over/under set at 150.5 points.

Oregon vs. Syracuse basketball key players to watch

Oregon

Senior guard Jermaine Couisnard
Couisnard is averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per contest, while hitting on 44.4 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from beyond the arc and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Syracuse basketball

Sophomore point guard Judah Mintz
Mintz is averaging 20.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per encounter, while connecting on 45.3 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point land and 78.9 percent from the charity stripe.

Oregon vs. Syracuse basketball prediction and pick

So far in 2023-24, the Ducks have better metrics via KenPom than the Orange, and Oregon is also higher in the NCAA’s NET rankings than the ‘Cuse.

Candidly, though, Syracuse basketball has endured a tougher schedule to date in the current term. Both teams score a lot of points and aren’t particularly great on defense.

Oregon is a strong shooting squad, making 48.2 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from downtown. That does concern me a little bit, given the Orange’s perimeter defense has been suspect at times.

Additionally, the Ducks take relatively good care of the ball, which is an arena to monitor, since Syracuse basketball has often feasted on its foes as it relates to forcing turnovers and then securing easy buckets out in transition.

I’m on the fence here. Since this game is taking place in South Dakota, I don’t necessarily think that either group will have a “crowd” advantage.

I liked the way that the Orange played last weekend against the Hoyas, so I’ll be a homer here and forecast Syracuse basketball to prevail over Oregon, 77-72.