#2 Syracuse Orange (25-1) vs #23 Louisville Cardinals (20-5)
The Syracuse Orange had a pretty good week last week knocking off Georgetown and Connecticut, the latter more easily than expected at home.
Monday February 13
Yum Center – Louisville, KY
7:00PMMoneyline: No money line currently listed
Spread: Syracuse -2
O/U: 132
Syracuse
More and more it is looking like they are going to win the Big East without really being challenged. The season goes by pretty quickly and there are now just 5 games left in the regular season. Oddly, two of them for the Orange are against the Louisville team they will be playing Monday night.
It feels like Syracuse has been the most consistent team in the country, which is odd because it feels like they have a different hero every night. Againt UConn on Saturday it was lanky C.J. Fair. The sophomore forward had his best game of the season, notching his second double double of the year. This has to be one of the most talented teams Jim Boeheim has ever coached. There might not be a top flight talent like Carmelo Anthony of Derrick Coleman but they have lots of guys who can hurt you and they all play well together.
Louisville
It is only the middle of February but the Louisville Cardinals have already had three different seasons. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
They were unbeaten in the non-conference, then struggled to open Big East play (going 2-5 including a loss to Kentucky) and now are unbeatable again with a 6 game winning streak heading into Monday night. While Boeheim’s side is dripping with talent this might be Rick Pitino’s best coaching job as this team is not all that flush it.
As a result the Cardinals are relying primarily on defense for their success. They are 4th in the nation in FG% defense – 37%. However, things might be changing a bit with the return to health of highly regarded frosh wing Wayne Blackshear.
Thought to be out for the year he gave them a lift on the weekend in just his first game with 13 points. I also like the game of fellow frosh Chane Bahanan who is not afraid to bang down low.
If they stick around this could be one of the top duos in the league.
Spread Pick: Syracuse -2
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Syracuse 72 – Louisville 65
