College basketball betting players know all about the strength of the Big East, as they had three No.1 seeds last year, and they could have two this year. The top two teams in the country will square off on Saturday as Syracuse hosts Villanova, and the Wildcats will hope to have their slide stopped by then.
Villanova vs Syracuse odds – Saturday, February 27, 9:00 PM ET
The No.7 Wildcats (22-4, 11-3 as of Wednesday) still have to host South Florida on Wednesday, and they’d be aiming to stop a losing streak at two games after dropping games against UConn and at Pitt. Scottie Reynolds had 20 points to lead the Wildcats at Pitt last Sunday, but only Corey Fisher reached double digits for Villanova, who lost this game at the foul line. The Wildcats had just 16 free-throw attempts, making 11, while the Panthers were 26-of-34 from the charity stripe and were much more aggressive than the Wildcats, which is rare.
The No.4 Orangemen (26-2, 13-2) rebounded from a loss against Louisville with wins at Georgetown and Providence, and against Providence in a 99-85 win, they got a career-high 28 points from Rick Jackson, along with nine rebounds. Andy Rautins also had 28 points for the Orangemen, who outrebounded Providence 37-24, and they forced 15 turnovers. Syracuse had the edge as both teams had great shooting nights, as the Orangemen shot 55.6%, while the Friars shot 51.5%. Wes Johnson, who has moved into the Player of the Year running, played 40 minutes for the third game in four outings, and even though he had just 10 points, Johnson added seven rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks. US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) didn’t acknowledge Johnson, a transfer, at the beginning of the season, but players know who he is now.
Syracuse should be favored at home in this contest, but it’s not like the Wildcats are afraid to go the Carrier Dome, as they’ve split their last 10 trips there. Syracuse gets the edge on Saturday, because they have an extra day to recover from their game, and they’ll be at home. Unless the Wildcats blow South Florida out, they’ll have to play their main players on the floor a lot, and that’s another edge that the Orangemen have in this contest: depth. The production really drops off for Villanova outside of Reynolds and the other starts, while Syracuse is balanced and has at least three players that can win a game by themselves. With Johnson struggling on the offensive end, the Orangemen should try to get some more looks for Kris Joseph, who has been lost in the attention paid to join.
Bet on college basketball: Syracuse
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