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Louisville Cardinals vs Syracuse Orangemen Pick and Preview

Sunday, Jan. 25 - Noon Eastern - ESPN Full Court / Big East Network
Louisville Cardinals (13-3) at Syracuse Orange (17-3)

Any early-season struggles 12th-ranked Louisville was having appear to have been put to rest with three consecutive wins against Top 20 teams in the past week. Regardless, if the Cardinals still don't feel they're receiving the respect they deserve, they'll have another chance to prove themselves at eighth-ranked Syracuse Sunday.

The Louisville-Syracuse game will start at noon Sunday from the Carrier Dome. The Big East TV Network will broadcast the game, and it will be available on ESPN Full Court as well.

Season Results: Louisville, which has a mid-week game at Rutgers before traveling to Syracuse, carries a five-game win streak into this week. Included in that streak are wins at #17 Villanova (61-60), at home against #13 Notre Dame (87-73 in overtime), and at home against #1 Pitt (69-63). Quite a turnaround for the Cardinals, who lost three games before Jan. 1 in which they were favored by at least nine points.

Syracuse, meanwhile, has lost two of its last three games, with both losses coming on the road, 88-74 at Georgetown and 78-60 at Pitt on ESPN's Big Monday. Syracuse defeated then-#13 Notre Dame at home last week, 93-74. The Louisville-Syracuse game will be the fourth straight game against a Top 15 opponent for Syracuse.

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Entering the week, Louisville sits in second place in the Big East Conference standings at 4-0, just half a game behind Marquette. Syracuse is fifth at 5-2.

Syracuse ranks third in the Big East in scoring at 80.4 points per game, while Louisville is eighth at 75.0. In defensive scoring average, the Cardinals rank fourth at 60.8, and Syracuse is 12th at 68.9. It should be an interesting matchup when Syracuse has the basketball as the Orange lead the Big East in field-goal percentage at 50.4%, while Louisville is third in field-goal percentage defense at 38.2%. Louisville also ranks third in the league in turnover margin (+3.13), while Syracuse is next-to-last at (-1.55).

Last season, Syracuse lost at Louisville, 61-50. Syracuse was a 9.5-point underdog.

Point Spread Records: In Big East games, Syracuse is 4-3 against the spread, including a 4-1 ATS mark as a favorite. At home, the Orange has won its last three games ATS, but they have not been a home underdog this season. Syracuse also has been involved in "over" games five times in its seven conference contests.
Louisville, meanwhile, had won four straight games ATS before its mid-week game against Rutgers. Prior to the four-game ATS win streak, the Cardinals had lost six of seven games ATS. Louisville has only been an underdog one time this season, winning as a two-point underdog at Villanova, 61-60. The Cardinals are 1-0 as a road favorite in league play, winning 71-57 at South Florida as an 11-point favorite.