The Syracuse Orange take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Duke is favored by 20 points on the spread with a moneyline of -3500. The total is set at 143.5 points.
Here’s my Syracuse vs. Duke prediction and college basketball picks for February 16, 2026.
Syracuse vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: Duke -20
My Syracuse vs Duke best bet is on the Blue Devils against the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Syracuse vs. Duke Odds
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+20 -110 | 143.5 -110 / -110 | +1500 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-20 -110 | 143.5 -110 / -110 | -3500 |
- Syracuse vs Duke spread: Duke -20
- Syracuse vs Duke over/under: 143.5 points
- Syracuse vs Duke moneyline: Syracuse +1500, Duke -3500
Syracuse vs Duke College Basketball Betting Preview
Syracuse Basketball
Syracuse enters this game with a 15-11 overall record and a 6-7 mark in conference play.
Syracuse definitely has a tall order ahead, traveling to Durham to face a top-five team at one of the most difficult venues in the sport. In Jon Scheyer’s fourth season at the helm, Duke boasts an unbelievably impressive 60-3 overall record on its home floor.
The last time Syracuse prevailed at Cameron Indoor was back in 2019, when the Orange defeated the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils by four points in overtime.
Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry has a 0-3 record against Duke thus far in his brief tenure, and his bunch heads into this matchup as a massive underdog.
Donnie Freeman leads the charge for the Orange's offense, which is scoring over 76 points per game. After having played just 14 games last season as a freshman, Freemen has also missed 10 games this season.
When healthy, Freeman is an extremely gifted athlete who excels on both ends of the floor. The sophomore is scoring nearly 18 points and seven rebounds per game. He's converting on over 50% of his field goal attempts for a Syracuse offense that ranks inside the top 60 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
The Orange backcourt features J.J. Starling, who's scoring over 12 points per contest. Syracuse guards Naithan George and Nate Kingz are both posting double-digit scoring efforts, as well.
Kiyan Anthony, the son of Carmelo Anthony, has also been very efficient coming off the bench.
On the other end of the floor, the defense is allowing 72 points per game and has been relatively inconsistent.
Syracuse is on the bubble for a ticket to the Big Dance, but it's likely closer to the bottom of the list, having lost 11 games largely due to the absence of Freeman.
Duke Basketball
The Blue Devils currently own an 23-2 overall record this season.
While last season’s Final Four defeat against Houston was devastating for Scheyer in his fourth year at the helm, he quickly made significant progress in the offseason, landing the No. 3 prospect in the country in Cameron Boozer.
For a team that just lost one of the most talented college basketball players in decades in Cooper Flagg, Boozer has quickly picked up the slack, posting over 23 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Alongside 6-foot-11 powerhouse Patrick Ngongba II, the Blue Devils' frontcourt is among the best in the sport on both ends of the floor.
Duke ranks inside the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Finding open looks in the paint has been a nightmare for opposing forwards, as the Blue Devils' bigs serve as spectacular rim protectors.
Caleb Foster operates as a point guard for an extremely up-tempo Scheyer offense. Alongside Duke shooting guard Isaiah Evans, who's posting over 14 points per game this season, the Blue Devils boast a ton of athleticism and scoring ability.
Scheyer is one of the best offensive minds in the sport, executing very advanced, intricate schematics to his team's advantage — both in transition and in the half-court.
The head coach implements offensive spacing to a tee, utilizing quick passing in combination with very active perimeter guards and very active cutting in-and-out of the lane to create efficient shot-taking opportunities.
Scheyer’s guards frequently use dribble-handoffs in the half-court, forcing defensive switches to adjust to the quick ball movement and keep up with Duke’s shooters coming off screens.
Duke’s offense thrives via both attacking the basket and using motion-week sets to create open looks for Boozer inside the lane.
Scheyer’s coaching style reminds me a lot of UConn’s Dan Hurley, who constantly demands greatness from his players through an unmatched level of work ethic.
Syracuse vs. Duke Betting Analysis
Duke bounced back in a big way from its second loss of the season (at UNC), handing Clemson a 13-point beating. The Blue Devils appear to be well on their way to securing another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Syracuse just being the next opponent in its wake.
Syracuse’s most realistic path to victory is through a big offensive performance from Freeman.
Moreover, this is set to be the most difficult opposing frontcourt matchup Freeman has seen all season, with the likes of Boozer and Ngongba making it very difficult to create any form of offense inside the lane.
I don't see Syracuse being able to contain Duke’s offensive firepower and Scheyer’s advanced schematics. I expect the Orange to be outmatched on both ends of the floor, especially in front of the infamously hostile “Cameron Crazies."
My Pick: Duke -20
