Syracuse Orange vs West Virginia Mountaineers Prediction, 3/21/2021 College Basketball Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Syracuse Orange vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Date: Sunday, March 21, 2021

Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Syracuse (+3.5)

Bankers Life Fieldhouse is the site where and the West Virginia Mountaineers (19-9) will take on the Syracuse Orange (17-9) on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia opens this matchup as 3.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 147.

Syracuse steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss mark of 17-9 so far this year. The Orange are shooting 34.8% on shots from 3-point land (218 of 626) and 78.6% from the charity stripe. They average 75.9 points per contest (71st in college basketball) while going 44.4% from the field. They are turning it over 11.2 times per game and as a group are committing 14.5 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Syracuse is pulling down 35.8 boards per game and has accounted for 396 assists on the season, which is 43rd in the nation in terms of passing the rock. On the defensive end, the Orange have forced 14.2 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.7 fouls. They are ranked 343rd in college basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 451 surrendered for the year. The Orange defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 41.3% (658 of 1,594) and they relinquish 37.7 boards per game as a team. They surrender 31.5% on shots from distance and they are 186th in Division 1 in points per game allowed (70.4).

The Syracuse Orange stepped onto the hardwood against the San Diego State Aztecs and walked away with a win by a score of 78-62 in their last contest. Syracuse wrapped up the game having earned a 55.3% FG percentage (26 out of 47) and made 15 of their 27 shots from distance. At the charity stripe, the Orange buried 11 of 13 tries for a percentage of 84.6%. In reference to hauling in boards, they collected a total of 28 with 4 of them being offensive. They also recorded 14 assists while creating 4 turnovers, but didn't have a steal. With regard to defense, Syracuse allowed their opponent to shoot 35.8% from the floor on 24 out of 67 shooting. San Diego State dished out 16 dimes and had 6 steals in the game. In addition, San Diego State pulled down 30 rebounds (12 offensive, 18 defensive) and added 1 block. San Diego State finished shooting 42.9% at the charity stripe by burying 3 of 7 shots. They also buried 11 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc.

Buddy Boeheim is a guy who played a role for this contest. He accounted for 30 points on 11 out of 15 shooting. He played 34 minutes played and pulled down 4 rebounds. Boeheim finished the game shooting 73.3% from the field but finished the game without an assist. Someone else that was a contributor in this game for the Orange was Joseph Girard. He snagged 6 rebounds in 29 min on the basketball court. He finished the contest at 30.0% from the field in this game via 3-of-10 (12 points). When all was said and done, Girard accounted for 7 assists.

West Virginia has a win-loss mark of 19-9 so far this season. The Mountaineers commit 16.4 fouls per contest and they go 71.7% from the free throw line. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 13.9 times per game (121st in the nation) and they are turning it over 11.9 times per contest. West Virginia has 2,171 points this season (77.5 per contest) and they pull in 37.7 boards per contest. As an offensive unit, the Mountaineers are hitting on 43.1% from the floor, which is 235th in college basketball. The Mountaineers are ranked 223rd in D-1 in points allowed per game with 71.9. They are forcing 15.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 44.5% from the field (224th in college hoops). The West Virginia defense surrenders 33.0% on shots from beyond the arc (205 of 622) and opponents are converting on 69.1% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 13.8 dimes and 35.4 boards on a nightly basis, which is ranked 245th and 205th in those categories on the defensive end.

In their last game, the West Virginia Mountaineers got the victory with a final of 84-67 when they faced the Morehead State Eagles. The Mountaineers snagged 15 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 24 in this game. They also turned the ball over 6 times, while getting 10 steals in the matchup. The Eagles had 14 fouls for the contest which got the Mountaineers to the free throw line for 15 tries. They were able to knock down 11 of the free throw tries for a clip of 73.3%. In the matter of shooting from 3-point land, West Virginia buried 9 of their 18 tries (50.0%). When the final whistle blew, the Mountaineers shot 32 for 63 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.8%. The Mountaineers permitted the Eagles to knock down 26 out of 50 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 52.0% in this matchup. They finished the game shooting 52.6% from downtown by hitting 10 of 19 and finished the game at 5 out of 9 at the charity stripe (55.6%). In the matter of rebounds, West Virginia allowed Morehead State to pull down 26 overall (7 on the offensive side).

Miles McBride was important for the Mountaineers in this matchup. He knocked down 11 of 17 in the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 64.7%, and had 6 rebounds. McBride tallied 30 points in his 36 mins on the court and had 6 dimes in the matchup. Someone else that was pivotal for West Virginia was Jalen Bridges. He finished this one with 2 dimes in his 30 minutes on the hardwood, and he knocked down 6 out of 8 from the floor. Bridges ended the game having shot 75.0% from the field in addition to earning 15 points and 5 boards.

Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Syracuse (+3.5)

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