The Duke Blue Devils and Syracuse Orange are both in need of a win as they look to build on their resumes for March. Here are the best Duke vs. Syracuse college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.
The Blue Devils have lost two of their last three games, and they barely escaped with a victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish their last time out. They're now just 9-6 in conference play and are far from a lock to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange have rattled off three consecutive wins, including a 75-72 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Despite that win, the Orange are still home underdogs on Saturday.
Here is our best Duke vs. Syracuse college basketball pick (odds via FanDuel; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
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Duke vs. Syracuse pick
Everyone knew there would be some growing pains for the Blue Devils as they adjusted to life in their first year without Coach K. It is fair to say they have been more disappointing than most expected.
Duke has just two wins over ranked opponents, though its victory over then-No. 25 Ohio State certainly no longer qualifies as a good win. The Blue Devils also coming off a nailbiter against Notre Dame, which is the second-worst team in the ACC. Yet, this line is unfair.
The Blue Devils were blown out by the Miami Hurricanes, but that was a prime letdown spot for them after beating the North Carolina Tar Heels. They then played the Virginia Cavaliers to overtime, in a game they likely should have won. It makes sense that they were a bit rusty in their next game against the Fighting Irish.
The Orange didn't have an impressive win on their resume until they knocked off the Wolfpack, but they caught that team at the perfect time, as NC State was preparing for the Tar Heels this weekend. The Orange have some close losses to some very good teams, but they also have some very narrow escapes over bad teams.
The Blue Devils are just 2-6 on the road this season, but they have yet to lose to a team with more than three home losses. The Orange are 10-5 in front of their home crowd. The Blue Devils are the more talented team, and with nothing on the horizon in way of competition, this is a great spot for them to focus and pick up a “big” road win.
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Duke vs. Syracuse best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
| -1.5 | -1.5 | -1.5 | -1.5 | -1.5 |
| -110 | -104 | -105 | -110 | -110 |
The five major sportsbooks are all in agreement on what this line should be, but how they are pricing it is a different story. DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet are all putting this at a standard -110, but FanDuel and BetMGM see things differently. FanDuel is offering the best price of -104. This also signals that this line is about to drop to -1.
It will be interesting to see if the other books follow suit, as the three with prices of -110 aren't showing any signs of shifting this line. Keep an eye on this, and do not overpay for the spread if the price is expensive for a lower number. Just simply take the Moneyline if it gets to -115 or lower.
Duke vs. Syracuse odds
Duke vs. Syracuse odds analysis
The spread has not moved since opening at Duke -1.5, but bettors are heavily favoring the underdogs in this one. Around 61% of bettors are backing the Orange to cover the spread, which is likely why this price is so good for Duke at some of the major sportsbooks. If this continues, it is likely oddsmakers will have no choice but to change the line.
As for the total, the number opened at 140.5, and though it hasn't moved at all, 67% of bettors are expecting these two teams to do a lot of scoring. Both groups are averaging over 70 points per game, and while the Blue Devils are a bit better defensively, both teams are allowing over 60 points per contest.
Duke vs. Syracuse game info
Date: Saturday, Feb. 18, 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY
Duke vs. Syracuse pick made 02/18/2023 at 7:05 a.m. ET.
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