Remarkable sports service ScoresOddsPicks has the College Basketball Game of the Year on ESPN. Super book Bodog previews the game.
The Big East regular-season title is on the line Saturday night at Syracuse's Carrier Dome, and there will be 34,616 there to see it – breaking the NCAA record for an on-campus crowd to see a college basketball game. And their Orange have opened as short favorites against Villanova on Bodog's NCAA Basketball Odds
No. 4 Syracuse (26-2, 7-6 ATS at home), which previously held the NCAA on-campus record for a crowd as well (33,633 for a 2006 game against Villanova), can clinch the Big East title and quite likely a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a win. Strangely, however, the Orange's two losses have both come at home this season. And SU has to be a bit concerned about star Wesley Johnson. He has topped 15 points just once in six games this month and is shooting just 20-for-65 from the field (30.8 percent) in that stretch. Still, the Orange should be able to dominate the small Wildcats inside on Saturday night.
No. 7 Villanova (23-4, 5-4 ATS on road) can also win the conference regular-season crown if it wins out. Nova will need a big game from point guard Scottie Reynolds against that Syracuse 2-3 zone defense, and Reynolds has averaged 20.1 points this month. He only averaged 10 points in the two-game sweep of the Orange last year. Fellow starting guard Corey Stokes was issued a citation early Thursday morning for urinating in public, but Villanova Coach Jay Wright said that Stokes, who is averaging 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, will play Saturday. It's possible that Stokes doesn't start as punishment.
When making your college basketball bet at Bodog on this one, know that the Wildcats have held the upper hand in this series of late, winning at Syracuse in each of the past two seasons as well as five of the past six meetings overall.
Top expert pick on this game: It's Villanova-Syracuse on national TV tonight. ScoresOddsPicks is 20-6 with "named" plays. Get four winners Saturday including the College Basketball Game of the Year for Saturday night. Valparaiso last night makes it 20-6 with named plays. Click now to purchase
