This is Saturday’s last matchup, airing on TBS with a 9:55 pm ET tip from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
These teams have met just once, with the Orange winning 92-87 on Dec. 11, 1982. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson lost to Syracuse while coaching Oklahoma in the 2003 NCAA Tournament East Region final 63-47.
All About the Orange Zone
Syracuse is 14-13 ATS this season, and the over is 14-13 in its 27 games. The Orange went 13-1 at home this year with a 5-8 record outside of the Carrier Dome.
Jim Boeheim’s team has covered the spread in six straight games, and it has also covered in its last six NCAA Tournament games.
Syracuse ranks 17th in the country in offensive efficiency but just 86th on the defensive end. The Orange score 75.9 points per game and allow 70.4 per contest and are losing the rebounding battle on the season by 2.3 per game.
The Orange have won five of six, and their defense has improved in March. They held San Diego State to 35.8 percent shooting in the first round, including 11-of-40 from three-point range. They also limited West Virginia to 37.1 percent from the floor in the second-round win.
Buddy Boeheim scored 25 points on six three-pointers in the 75-52 win over West Virginia. Marek Dolezaj, Quincy Guerrier and Joe Girard III all had 12 points in the win.
Boeheim is averaging 18 points per game this season, while Guerrier adds 13.9 per game. Alan Griffin is averaging 13.7 points per game, with Dolezaj at 10 per game.
Tough On D
Houston is 19-9 ATS on the season, and it is 6-0 in neutral-site games. The Cougars are in the top 12 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They lead the nation in field-goal defense at 37.3 percent and rank second in allowing just 57.9 points per game.
The Cougars offense brings down 14.4 rebounds per game, and they are fifth in the country at 41 boards per game. The offense scores 77.2 points per game, and in the tournament, they have scored 87 and 63 in the two wins.
Junior guard Quenton Grimes scored a game-high 22 points against Rutgers, his 11th game this year with at least 20 points. Senior guard DeJon Jarreau added 17 points with five rebounds.
Forward Justin Gorham led the American Athletic Conference at 8.6 rebounds per game this season.
Betting Analysis
The Cougars have won nine games in a row overall but can’t rely on a comeback as they did against Rutgers in the final minutes. Syracuse has held both opponents to under 30 points in the first half so far in the tournament, and it ranks in the top 20 in the nation in blocks and steals.
Houston can score in bunches and will need to solve the zone, but its own defense will make things tough on the Orange all game long.
Free Pick: Under
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