For college basketball fans, there might be no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than watching two pairs of ranked teams on different coasts in the United States put their talents on display. That’s exactly the opportunity that fans have on Jan. 28, 2024, with betting opportunities to boot.
Sunday’s pair of games is timed perfectly for betting purposes as the second should begin shortly after the first ends. That means betting both games should be convenient for those who would like to do so.
Virginia Tech at Syracuse details, handicapping
The No. 19 Virginia Tech Hokies are within a game of the lead in the ACC standings and could address that gap on Sunday when they visit upstate New York. The No. 22 Syracuse Orange will host them with designs on further establishing themselves as the team to beat in the conference.
- Tip-off: 12 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024
- Venue: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, New York
- Broadcast: ACC Network
- Previous matchup: Feb. 2, 2023 at Virginia Tech, 78-64 Hokies win
- Last 5 games: Syracuse WWWWW, Virginia Tech WLLWW
- Average points for: Syracuse 78.4, Virginia Tech 78.4
- Average points against: Syracuse 63.6, Virginia Tech 59.7
- Syracuse record: 15-5 overall, 11-1 at home, 7-1 ACC
- Virginia Tech record: 15-4 overall, 2-3 on the road, 6-2 ACC
There haven’t been many games in this all-time series but the small number has shown a lot of parity. Virginia Tech leads the series 9-8 and has won the last three in a row. However, Syracuse has won five of nine home games in the series and the two teams have split the last 10 regardless of venue.
To further demonstrate how competitive the series has been, the Hokies are averaging outscoring the Orange by under three points per game. Both teams are coming into this contest relatively healthy, so there are no adjustments for bettors to make for injuries.
Other statistics support the notion that this game should be very close. For that reason, the markets on the total might look better to bettors. Depending on where the number sits, the over could be in play due to Virginia Tech’s offensive prowess and Syracuse’s offensive rebounding proficiency. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Hokies a 2.5-point favorite with a total sitting at 140.5.
Utah at Oregon State details, handicapping
The No. 16 Utah Utes visit the No. 25 Oregon State Beavers with both teams looking to establish themselves among the Pac-12’s top teams. For both programs, their conference schedules have been best characterized by the old roller coaster cliché.
- Tip-off: 3 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024
- Venue: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Oregon
- Previous matchup: Feb. 3, 2023, at Oregon State, 75-73 Utes win
- Last 5 games: Oregon State WWWLW, Utah LWWWW
- Average points for: Oregon State 74.4, Utah 85
- Average points against: Oregon State 58.3, Utah 58.6
- Oregon State record: 16-3 overall, 13-0 at home, 5-3 Pac-12
- Utah record: 15-5 overall, 5-3 on the road, 5-3 Pac-12
Oregon State leads this series 15-8 but Utah has won consecutive games. Isolating the series to just games played in Corvallis, the Beavers have claimed eight of those 11 contests. Oregon State has also won seven of the last 10 overall although on average, the Utes outscore the Beavers by almost five points per game.
Both of these teams have seen their highs and lows so far in Pac-12 play this season. That makes spread betting in this one unpredictable, although playing at home has been a significant difference maker for both teams. For that reason, the Oregon State spread is in play.
The Beavers have been one of the nation’s best defensive teams, allowing the second-lowest shooting percentage on 2-point field goal attempts. Oregon State is also among the best rebounding squads in the nation and the best at avoiding turnovers in the country.
At the same time, Utah’s offense is quite efficient, with the most 3-point field goal conversions on average in the nation. This may be a classic live betting opportunity as the flow of the game could greatly dictate not only the spread but the total as well.
