While the higher-seeded teams garner all the plaudits and headlines, the 11-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs have been one of the best performers on the floor and at the betting window entering the Sweet 16. Next up for the Zags is a meeting with the Syracuse Orange and if history is any indication, Syracuse has its hands full.
- Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last five games vs teams with winning records.
- Syracuse is 1-4 SU (0-5 ATS) in its last five games with four days off between games.
- Gonzaga is 4-1 ATS in its last five games as a favorite of 4.5 or more.
Online shop Sportsbook has Gonzaga as a 4.5-point favorite in this Sweet 16 contest. This doesn’t bode well for the Orange as they have gone 0-5 SU (3-2 ATS) the last five times they’ve been underdogs.
Though upsets have been plentiful reinforcing the fact that a "sure thing" does not exist during March Madness, Syracuse has had an enviable path to the Sweet 16. They defeated the Dayton Flyers 70-51 as 1-point favorites in their Round of 64 matchup and hammered Middle Tennessee 75-50 as 6-point faves over the weekend.
Gonzaga was a Cinderella pick of many and has pulled through with a pair of dominant performances. The Bulldogs hammered the Seton Hall Pirates 68-52 as 2-point faves in their Sportsbook game and were even more impressive in a 82-59 win over the Utah Utes as 1-point chalk in the next round making it back-to-back games which Gonzaga bettors did not break a sweat.
The Orange have not been the most reliable of wagers in their last nine trips to the Sweet 16, going 2-6-1 against the spread in those games since 1996. The Bulldogs will look to make the Elite Eight for the second straight year but have gone just 2-4 SU in the Sweet 16 in school history.
Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Syracuse Orange Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Syracuse Orange are 21-13 so far on the season, and 18-15 ATS vs the number. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, meanwhile, are 28-7 and 16-16-2 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Syracuse go 17-16 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs go 17-17 on betting totals.
The Syracuse Orange sit at No. 153 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Gonzaga Bulldogs sit at No. 26 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Rebounding is always a key handicapping betting consideration and Gonzaga is ranked No. 25 in NCAA basketball at 39.69 per game. Contrast that with Syracuse's No. 145 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Syracuse is the No. 34-ranked team in the country at 8.71 per game, while Gonzaga rates No. 80 at 7.8 per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Gonzaga cruised to victory on Saturday, running Utah out of the gym and running up a 82-59 score at Pepsi Center.
Syracuse cruised to victory on Sunday, running Middle Tennessee out of the gym and running up a 75-50 score at Scottrade Center.
