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No. 7 Villanova favored big over Syracuse Saturday
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Published: 12/20/2014  at  4:43:00 AM
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SYRACUSE ORANGE (6-3)

at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (10-0)

Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
Tip-off: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET
Line: Villanova -12, Total: 130

No. 7 Villanova looks to remain undefeated when it hosts former Big East rival Syracuse on Saturday.

Syracuse (2-4 ATS) at one point last season ranked No. 1 in college basketball, but the Orange are currently trying right the ship as it looks for a marquee victory this season. The team’s best win coming into this game is against Iowa. These two teams played last year at the Carrier Dome, with Syracuse rolling to the 78-62 victory. The Wildcats started off red-hot from the field, taking a 25-7 lead early in the first half, but Trevor Cooney scored 21 points in the win for the Orange, giving Syracuse victories in three of the past four games in this series. Villanova (7-1 ATS) brings back a lot of players from last season’s team, and the Wildcats have been very good early. Coach Jay Wright’s team already has two victories against Top 25 teams, and is a team that has Final Four potential. Villanova is 17-3 ATS (85%) as a double-digit favorite in the past two seasons, but Syracuse is 16-6 ATS (73%) versus good defensive teams (42% or less FG allowed) in the past two seasons. The only injury for either team is Orange SG Michael Gbinije (back), who is probable for Saturday's game.

Can Villanova cover the huge spread versus its former conference rivals? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 53.2% ATS mark (75-66) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 64% ATS mark (18-10), while StatFox Brian is 55% ATS (16-13) and StatFox Zach is 54% ATS (15-13) to open the season.

The Orange lost a lot of talent from last season’s team, and they have been very inconsistent this season. Syracuse does a nice job of rebounding the ball (41.3 RPG, 19th in nation), but ranks 65th in assists (15.0 APG), 155th in shooting (44.1% FG) and 189th in scoring (68.2 PPG). PF Rakeem Christmas (16.4 PPG, 60% FG, 8.9 RPG) and 6-foot-10 C Chris McCullough (13.3 PPG, 54% FG, 8.4 RPG) are a talented duo who can both score points, but also do some great work on the glass. SG Trevor Cooney (11.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.1 APG) has really struggled from the field, as he is shooting just 38.6% from the floor and 31.5% from three-point range. Last season, he thrived with Tyler Ennis driving the ball and kicking to him, but this season, he has been the main focus of the other team. Freshman PG Kaleb Joseph (8.0 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.7 RPG) has not lived up to his hype so far, and has committed 3.8 turnovers per game.

The Wildcats have been very good this season, as they do everything needed to get the win. Villanova ranks 45th in the nation in shooting (48.1% FG), 48th in scoring (76.1 PPG), 59th in assists (15.3 APG) and 173rd in rebounding (35.4 RPG). If there is one area in this game that Syracuse could exploit, it is the battle on the glass. Seven Wildcats players are averaging at least 7.4 PPG, with SG Dylan Ennis (12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 46% threes) and F/G Darrun Hilliard II (11.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.1 APG) leading the way. Ennis did not play a whole lot last season for Villanova, but he has done a great job of filling in and taking his game to the next level. If you are looking at numbers PF JayVaughn Pinkston (9.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.5 APG) may not stick out as a great player, but he has shown throughout the season that he is the guy the Wildcats count on late. In a win against Michigan earlier in the season, Pinkston made up for a mistake with an incredible blocked shot in the final seconds to secure the victory. The Wildcats shoot 36% from the 3-point line, and they will have opportunities for long-range shooting against the Syracuse zone.


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