Last season, in his second year at the helm, Jon Scheyer took Duke to the Elite Eight and eased any concerns about him taking over the program from Coach K. However, even more promising than that Region Final appearance was the addition of Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in the country who has turned into the best freshman in college basketball since Zion Williamson.
With Flagg leading the way and the rest of the ACC in turmoil, No. 2 Duke has won 15 straight games and is 19-2 with an 11-0 record in conference play. Now, after blowing out North Carolina 87-70 at Cameron Indoor on Saturday, the Blue Devils are heading north to play Syracuse on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange, on the other hand, haven’t made quite as seamless a transition from their legendary head coach. Following a 20-win season in Year 1 replacing Jim Boeheim, Aidan Autry has Syracuse at 10-12 (4-7). A Saturday West Coast win over Cal stopped a three-game losing streak, but with Duke in town, the hard times likely aren’t over for Autry’s squad.
How to watch Duke vs. Syracuse
- Date: Wednesday, February 5
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: JMA Wireless Dome
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Duke record: 19-3 (10-1)
- Syracuse record: 18-4 (9-2)
Duke vs. Syracuse odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Duke -3500
- Syracuse +1280
Spread
- Duke -17.5 (-106)
- Syracuse +17.5 (-114)
Total
- 142.5 (over -110/under -110)
Duke injury report
- N/A
Syracuse injury report
- Chance Westry, G: Questionable (undisclosed)
- Donnie Freeman, F: Questionable (leg)
Syracuse and Duke series history
- Syracuse all-time record vs. Duke: 6-16
- Marquette 9-0 in last 9 meetings
Duke vs. Syracuse prediction
With all of Duke’s firepower, not just Cooper Flagg, but star freshman Kon Knueppel and veteran guard Tyrese Proctor, Scheyer’s team is at its best on the defensive end of the floor. Flagg is a dominant defensive force, averaging 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks a game, ranking first in the country in defensive win shares per 40 minutes, and 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach is one of the most disruptive interior presences in the country.
Opponents are shooting just 41.5% from two-point range against the Blue Devils this year, which is the third-best of any team in the country. That’s a nightmare for any opponent, but especially a Syracuse team that is shooting 31.9% from three (291st) and is likely without stretch forward Donnie Freeman. The highly-rated freshman hasn’t played since January 4, and without him, things have gotten even worse for Autry’s group.
Syracuse leading scorer JJ Starling will struggle to get to the rim on Wednesday night and center Eddie Lampkin Jr. won’t have an easy time backing down Maluach. On the other end, things are almost always easy when Flagg and Knueppel are operating offensively and opponents are shooting nearly 45% on Syracuse this year.
There is just too big of a talent discrepancy in this one, so expect another blowout win for the Blue Devils in ACC play as their quest for an undefeated conference record continues.