Syracuse basketball travels to No. 18 Virginia. The latest betting odds, key metrics.

Syracuse basketball is a sizable betting underdog when it plays at No. 18 Virginia on Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.

When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Cavaliers as a 12.5-point favorite over the Orange, at home, with the over/under set at 147.5 points. That size of a spread isn't a surprise, given that the 'Cuse is slogging its way through the 2025-26 season, and UVA is excellent on its turf.

This is the second straight road game for the Orange (13-10 overall, 4-6 in ACC) against a top-25 foe, as this past Monday night, Syracuse basketball lost by 10 points at No. 14 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Led by first-year head coach Ryan Odom, this Virginia squad (19-3 overall, 8-2 in the ACC) is evenly balanced, as it is in the top 25 overall of both adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

The Cavaliers are a high-scoring team and rebound the ball well, two areas of concern for SU, which has seen its defense slip from earlier in the season. The Orange is also prone to giving up a lot of offensive rebounds to its opponents, which can translate into second-chance points.

UVA and Syracuse basketball are slated to tip off at 12:00 pm EST on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., with television coverage on ESPN.

Key metrics for Syracuse basketball at No. 18 Virginia.

Syracuse basketball
NCAA NET ranking: No. 69 overall
Home record: 10-4
Neutral-site record: 1-3
Road record: 2-3
Quadrant-one record: 1-5
Quadrant-two record: 1-3
Quadrant-three record: 4-2
Quadrant-four record: 7-0
KenPom rating: No. 68 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 80
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 68

Virginia
NCAA NET ranking: No. 16 overall
Home record: 11-1
Neutral-site record: 2-1
Road record: 6-1
Quadrant-one record: 4-2
Quadrant-two record: 4-1
Quadrant-three record: 4-0
Quadrant-four record: 7-0
KenPom rating: No. 18 overall
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 17
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 23

Unless the 'Cuse goes on a miraculous run to end the 2025-26 regular season, or wins the ACC Tournament, the program is staring down a fifth straight campaign without making the NCAA Tournament.

At this point, it's about playing for pride. The fan base is fed up, and some fans are taking things way too far with their social media meanness; however, what would calm everyone down is a win by Syracuse basketball over Virginia in Charlottesville. Let's get it done.