The Syracuse Orange take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Virginia is favored by 13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1100. The total is set at 147 points.
Here’s my Syracuse vs. Virginia prediction and college basketball picks for February 7, 2026.
Syracuse vs Virginia Prediction
My Pick: Syracuse Team Total Under 67.5 or Better
My Syracuse vs Virginia best bet is on the Orange to stay under their team total. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Syracuse vs. Virginia Odds
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -110 | 147 -110o / -110u | +700 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -110 | 147 -110o / -110u | -1100 |
- Syracuse vs Virginia spread: Virginia -13.5
- Syracuse vs Virginia over/under: 147 points
- Syracuse vs Virginia moneyline: Syracuse +700, Virginia -1100
Syracuse vs Virginia College Basketball Betting Preview
Syracuse Basketball
Syracuse has really struggled its way through a 13-10 season that's seen the Orange drop five of its last six contests and seemingly play its way out of the NCAA tournament.
The metrics look okay for this team, but Cuse hasn't been able to match up well with the stronger teams in ACC play, and is now on the second of back-to-back road trips against top-25 level competition.
The offense does have three players who average double digits in scoring, led by Donnie Freeman, who averages 18.6 points per contest. Freeman scored 23 points last time out against UNC, and he's such a critical piece of this offense – one that missed him when he was out with an injury leading up to the Christmas break.
J.J. Starling scores 12 points and Nate Kingz scores 11 points per game for the Orange, who do pretty well operating out of the paint. Cuse isn't going to shoot a ton of 3-pointers, but Naithan George is a strong facilitator at the point, and the Orange get to the line often.
The defense has been up and down; this isn't the vaunted Syracuse defense we saw for 35 years under previous coaching staffs. It's not an overtly strong rebounding team either, but Syracuse can dial up the pressure and force you into turnovers if you're ill-prepared.
This group will be up against it against Virginia.
Virginia Basketball
The Wahoos are currently projected on the four-line come NCAA Tournament time, but Virginia will have opportunities to play its way into a higher seed, highlighted with a late-February road bout at Duke.
Virginia has used a different style and approach, and the makeup of this team looks a lot different under head coach Ryan Odom.
The Cavs are dangerous offensively and can shoot the ball well from all over the floor. Don’t sleep on the Cavaliers' defense either. This is a well-equipped unit on both ends.
The Wahoos are led offensively by Thijs De Ridder, who averages 16.7 points per contest. De Ridder displays solid versatility in his game and really does well in the painted area. He gets to the foul line regularly and can step out and bury the 3-ball. Malik Thomas chips in 12.8 points per game and can snipe it from outside.
Chance Mallory has been really consistent for Virginia, too, scoring 10 or more points in 10 straight contests.
There are several other role players who contribute in different ways. Virginia rebounds the ball well and can shoot from anywhere on the floor, a dangerous combo come March.
The defense remains a solid catalyst for this Virginia group, as the Cavaliers rank 22nd nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric. Virginia contests most everything at the rim while ranking sixth nationally in block percentage and ninth in 2-point defense.
It's been hard to get good looks from in close, and teams haven't been making the outside shot against Virginia.
I'm interested to see how quickly Virginia can make Syracuse feel uncomfortable on this end of the floor.
Syracuse vs. Virginia Betting Analysis
This line opened at Virginia -12.5 with a total set at 147.5. We'll have to wait until the derivative markets open up on this one, but with the side and total where they're at, the Syracuse team total should come out at 67.5. I'll be diving in on the under.
While Virginia operates a little quicker than in years past, this team still ranks just 275th nationally in adjusted tempo. Virginia is very efficient, but it isn't running tempo.
Syracuse does have an efficient defense that does well to protect the rim and defend the glass, so I could see Virginia having to be more methodical on this end of the floor.
Defensively, there are few teams better than the Hoos at making you work deep into the possession clock every time down the floor. Syracuse wants to operate out of the paint and get the ball to the rim. This is going to be a struggle against Virginia.
Virginia is an elite rim-protecting defense and one of the best in the ACC at preventing offensive rebounds. I would expect we see plenty of “one-and-done” possessions for the Cuse, which may have to settle for outside jumpers more frequently than it's accustomed to.
Syracuse has been one of the worst teams at turning the ball over in ACC play. While Virginia doesn’t force a ton of them, I wouldn’t be surprised to see turnovers pile up and create even more empty possessions for the Orange.
Cuse has scored 68 or more points in every ACC road game this season, but it hasn't squared off against a defense of this caliber.
On Monday night, the Orange had just 40 points on the road at UNC at the “under-10” mark in the second half before scoring 37 points in the last 10 minutes. Virginia isn't going to give that up.
This game should be played to 62 possessions or so, resembling a Jim Boeheim/Tony Bennett battle from years ago. I think Syracuse will have to rely on its defense to stay in this game, and the pace should remain slower in the second half.
I lean full game under, but I really like the Syracuse team total under at 67.5 or better.
My Pick: Syracuse Team Total Under 67.5 or Better
