Syracuse vs Florida State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

01/03/2025 10:48 PM

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Syracuse-Florida State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Syracuse-Florida State.

Conference basketball gets into full swing on Saturday. Every conference begins the main segment of the college basketball season on the road to the conference tournaments, Selection Sunday, March Madness, and ultimately, the road to the Final Four in San Antonio in April. There are a number of high-end conference games on the Saturday slate. This game, in contrast, is a matchup of teams trying to figure out how good they are in a very uncertain situation.

Syracuse just lost a home game to Wake Forest a few days ago. The Orange fell behind 19-3 at the start, rallied to take a lead, but then faltered down the stretch to lose by 10 in a wild contest. The facts speak for themselves with Syracuse and that Wake loss. SU got blown out at the beginning and end of the game and outscored Wake by more than 20 points in the middle of the game. Wild inconsistency marked the game, which points to players moving in and out of focus, being locked in for several minutes but then just as clearly losing that clarity in the next several minutes. That’s a big problem for any team, but the focus on Syracuse is especially acute because Adrian Autry is the successor to longtime Orange coach Jim Boeheim. Everyone in Syracuse wants to know if Autry is up for this job. The more Syracuse struggles, the more the restlessness and dissatisfaction will grow among the fan base. Syracuse urgently needs to respond to that Wake Forest loss with a strong performance here.

Florida State is facing its own urgent task under longtime coach Leonard Hamilton. Florida State was an excellent program in a four-year span from 2018 through 2021. FSU had forged significant achievements earlier in Hamilton’s tenure, such as the 2012 ACC Tournament championship, but 2018-2021 was the best four-year run of Hamilton’s run in Tallahassee. FSU made the Sweet 16 in both 2018 and 2021. In 2020, the Seminoles won the ACC regular-season championship and were going to be the No. 1 seed at the 2020 ACC Tournament. FSU had a real chance to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, and it would have been no worse than a No. 2 seed, but the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out all of March Madness. Hamilton’s best FSU team was deprived of the chance to make the Final Four for reasons completely beyond its control.

It is as though FSU never really recovered after that core nucleus finished its own race. Subsequent FSU teams were not as good, and they were also hampered by injuries. Florida State is trying to pick up the pieces and give Hamilton the chance to retire on his terms without the roof caving in. Being good is its own reward, but it would also enable Hamilton to finish his tenure — whenever it does end — as gracefully as possible.

Here are the Syracuse-Florida State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Syracuse-Florida State Odds

Syracuse: +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +215

Florida State: -6.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -265

Over: 157.5 (-105)

Under: 157.5 (-115)

How to Watch Syracuse vs Florida State

Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

TV: ACC Network

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Syracuse Will Cover The Spread/Win

Syracuse is getting almost seven whole points against a Florida State team which is not NCAA Tournament-quality. Don’t overcomplicate this.

Why Florida State Will Cover The Spread/Win

Florida State is at home against a Syracuse team which is simply not dependable. FSU probably wins outright, so unless Syracuse plays at a high level, the margin will probably bounce upward, making +6.5 a narrow box for Syracuse to fit in.

Final Syracuse-Florida State Prediction & Pick

Our lean is to Syracuse, but you should study this game rather than bet on it. Gather information for the remainder of the ACC hoops season.

Final Syracuse-Florida State Prediction & Pick: Syracuse +6.5

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