Georgetown Hoyas at Syracuse Orange Betting Preview

Opening Line: Georgetown +6 / Orange -6 O/U 147.5

Time: 7 Pm EST Monday January 25, 2010 on ESPN

Tonight in a Big East rivalry match up the 5th ranked Syracuse Orange host the 14th ranked Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas have won 2 games in a row, but playing at Syracuse has been unkind to them in recent years, as they have lost 5 straight at the Carrier Dome and 10 of their last 11 there. The Orange have won 6 in a row since dropping their first conference game to Pitt in 3 weeks ago.

This season Syracuse is 21-1 at home and 12-4 ATS and Georgetown is 4-2 on the road and 8-6 ATS.

In their last games the Orange beat Marquette 76-71 on Saturday and the Hoyas crushed Rutgers 88-63 also on Saturday.

The Orange are solid on defense allowing an average of 65.2 ppg and they will play a 2-3 zone tonight to try to contain Hoyas C Greg Monroe (15.2 ppg 10.4 rpg), who is on fire in his last 3 games averaging 21 ppg and 13.7 rpg.

To open up the lane for Monroe to operate the Hoyas will have to shoot the rock from the outside with their 3 guards averaging in double figures in Austin Freeman (15.6 ppg), Chris Wright (15.1 ppg), and Jason Clark (10.6 ppg).

The Hoyas have to play solid defense tonight against an Orange squad that has 5 players averaging in double figures and is averaging 84.1 ppg this season.

The Orange have a solid inside-outside game with guards Andy Rautins (10.4 ppg) and Brandon Triche (10.2 ppg), forwards Wesley Johnson (17.3 ppg) and Kris Joseph (10 ppg), and C Arinze Onuaku (10.2 ppg).

Monroe (10.4 rpg) has to be good on the glass tonight and stay out of foul trouble, as he will not get much help on the boards and Georgetown lacks depth in the frontcourt.

If Johnson (9.1 rpg) and F Rick Jackson (6.9 rpg) can win the battle of the boards tonight the Orange will be tough to beat.

The Orange are an athletic team that likes to get out and run and the Hoyas will have to try to slow the temp of the game.

Georgetown is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5, and the total has gone Over in their last 5 games. Syracuse is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 home games, 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5, and the total has gone Over in 4 of their last 5 games at home.

Our Selection : The Hoyas have been a solid 6-2 in the Big East play this season. Both losses were on the road, but both were close battles with the losing margin not exceeding 5 points. Take Georgetown plus the 6 points.