Syracuse basketball is a small betting underdog to a quality SMU team on Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome, as the Orange hosts its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference opponent from across the country.
At the time of this writing, FanDuel had the Mustangs as a small 2.5-point betting favorite over the 'Cuse on the road, with the over/under set at 157.5 points. SMU is eyeing a potential bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while the Orange is looking to build a little momentum after notching a seven-point, double-overtime win over California on the Hill this past Wednesday evening.
Saturday's conference clash could entail a lot of scoring, and not necessarily a lot of defense. SMU (17-7 overall, 6-5 in ACC) is second in the ACC in points per game, at 86.5, but the Mustangs are No. 16 in the league in points allowed per contest, at 77.5.
On the flip side, Syracuse basketball (14-11 overall, 5-7 in ACC) hovers somewhat near the middle-of-the-pack in the conference in scoring offense (76.4 points per game) and scoring defense (71.9 points per contest). The 'Cuse, though, did put up 107 points against Cal earlier this week, albeit in two overtimes.
Here are key metrics for SMU at Syracuse basketball on Saturday afternoon.
Syracuse basketball
NCAA NET ranking: No. 68 overall
Home record: 11-4
Neutral-site record: 1-3
Road record: 2-4
Quadrant-one record: 1-6
Quadrant-two record: 2-3
Quadrant-three record: 4-2
Quadrant-four record: 7-0
KenPom rating: No. 68 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 79
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 68
SMU
NCAA NET ranking: No. 35 overall
Home record: 13-2
Neutral-site record: 1-1
Road record: 3-4
Quadrant-one record: 3-6
Quadrant-two record: 4-1
Quadrant-three record: 4-0
Quadrant-four record: 6-0
KenPom rating: No. 37 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 15
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 91
Based on the Mustangs' current NET ranking, this is a quadrant-two game for the 'Cuse. If SMU gets into the top 30 of the NET, it would move to a quadrant-one opportunity for Syracuse basketball. Without question, the Orange is a long way from entering the conversation for March Madness, but the key for SU is to take things one encounter at a time.
Knocking off the Mustangs, following the recent win over California, would be a strong result for Syracuse basketball, with a Monday road date against No. 4 Duke looming on the horizon.