College Basketball Odds, Pick, Prediction: Syracuse vs. Boston College (Tuesday, February 8)

Syracuse vs. Boston College Odds

Tuesday, Feb. 8

8 p.m. ET

ACC Network

Syracuse Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-4.5 -110	143.5 -110o / -110u	-200

Boston College Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+4.5 -110	143.5 -110o / -110u	+165

Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Jim Boeheim looks like he may be up to his old tricks of getting his program hot at just the right time.

Syracuse’s odds of making it to the postseason looked slim after the Orange started the season 9-11 and 3-6 in ACC play. But they have won three games in a row, and will need to stay perfect the rest of the way for any chance of an at-large bid.

For Boston College, the remainder of the season will be preparation for the future. The Eagles have lost nine of their last 12 games.

Earl Grant’s squad has suffered seven losses to teams that rank outside the KenPom top 100 this season.

Boston College is going to struggle to find success on both ends of the floor against Syracuse.

Syracuse Orange

This Syracuse program has been reliant on its starting lineup all season. The Orange rank near dead last in the nation in bench minutes, as the starters see the court for over 85% of the game. That has led to five players all averaging over 13 points per night.

Leading the charge are the Boeheim brothers, Buddy and Jimmy.

Buddy Boeheim is putting up nearly 20 points per game while hitting 35% of his 182 3-point attempts this season. Jimmy Boeheim is averaging 14 points per contest while doing most of his damage in the paint.

As a team, the Orange own a top-15 offensive efficiency ranking. They’ve been dynamite from beyond the arc, hitting 38% on the season.

During their three-game win streak, the offense has averaged 92 points per game. During that stretch, the group has hit 33-of-61 from 3-point territory (54%).

But the 2-3 zone hasn’t lived up to its typical standards. The Orange rank 248th in defensive efficiency and are allowing opponents to hit 35% of their 3-pointers (221st) and 52% of their 2-point attempts (275th).

But that shouldn’t affect them in this matchup against a Boston College side that has struggled with its shooting all season.

Boston College Eagles

It’s been tough sledding for the Boston College basketball program this season. The group has some brutal losses to Albany, Pittsburgh and Rhode Island (twice).

The offense ranks among the bottom three in the conference, putting up just 65 points per game. The Eagles rank dead last in the ACC, hitting just 41% of their field goal attempts. They have shot below 40% from the field in seven of their last 10 games in conference play.

The shooting woes have been a major factor in Boston College's struggles this season. The Eagles rank outside the top-300 in 2-point and 3-point percentages this season.

The starters play most of the minutes for the program, and only one player is shooting above 33% from beyond the arc this season. That player is Jaeden Zackery, who has made just 25 outside shots in his 21 games this season.

Defensively, the Eagles have been just as bad at guarding the perimeter, allowing opponents to hit 36% from deep (312th). They stand little chance at containing a Syracuse offense that thrives with its outside shooting.

Syracuse vs. Boston College Betting Pick

You beat the patented Syracuse zone defense with crisp ball movement and shot making. The bad news for Boston College is it struggles in both of those categories.

The Eagles rank outside the top 300 in 3-point and 2-point field goal percentages. They typically utilize a pick-and-roll offensive scheme to find mismatches and allow their guards to play one-on-one.

Opponents have assisted on 70% of made field goals against the Cuse zone this season, the highest of any team in the country. But Boston College has assisted on only 48% of its made field goals on the year, which ranks 254th.

On the other end of the floor, the Eagles are horrid at defending the perimeter, allowing their opponents to hit 36% from downtown (312th). Syracuse thrives at hitting the outside shot, connecting on 38% from deep, which is top-25 in the nation.

Syracuse looks to be getting hot at just the right time — yet again. The Orange are looking to make it four wins in a row and need to stay hot if they want any chance of extending their season into March.

This is a horrid matchup for Boston College, which has no hope of getting into the NCAA Tournament unless it wins the conference tournament.

Pick: Syracuse -3.5 (Play to -5.5)