The Texas Longhorns (3-1) will face the Syracuse Orange (3-0) in the first round of the 2024 Legends Classic on Thursday night. Texas is riding a three-game winning streak following its season-opening loss to Ohio State, while Syracuse has won all three of its games in narrow fashion. The winner of this semifinal game will face the winner of Texas Tech and Saint Joseph’s in the championship on Friday night. This is the first meeting between these schools since Syracuse notched a 95-84 win in the 2003 Final Four.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday at Barclays Center. Texas is favored by 10.5 points in the latest Texas vs. Syracuse odds, while the over/under is 154.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Syracuse vs. Texas picks, you’ll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2024-25 season on a 156-114 betting roll (+1762) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Syracuse-Texas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Texas vs. Syracuse spread: Texas -10.5
- Texas vs. Syracuse over/under: 154.5 points
- Texas vs. Syracuse money line: Texas: -595, Syracuse: +434
- Texas vs. Syracuse picks: See picks here
- Texas vs. Syracuse streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Texas can cover
Texas already has experience playing against a major-conference opponent this season, coming up just short against Ohio State in its opener. Freshman guard Tre Johnson burst onto the scene in that game, shooting 10 of 20 while scoring 29 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Johnson has continued to impress college basketball fans since then, averaging 23.5 points per game.
The Longhorns have cruised to blowout wins over Houston Christian, Chicago State and Mississippi Valley State, winning all three of those games by more than 30 points. Johnson and Kansas State transfer Arthur Kaluma each scored 18 points in the win over Mississippi Valley State, outscoring the Delta Devils 56-20 in the second half. Texas is averaging 89 points while shooting 52.9% from the floor this season, and it is facing a Syracuse defense that is No. 230 in adjusted defensive field goal percentage in KenPom’s rankings. See which team to pick here.
Why Syracuse can cover
Syracuse has been able to fight through some close games to open the season, picking up wins over Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State. The Orange got past Youngstown State in double overtime on Saturday, scoring 104 points in that game. Junior guard J.J. Starling poured in a career-high 38 points on 14 of 23 shooting, upping his season average to 21.3 points per game.
Starling averaged 13.3 points per game last season, and he is capable of taking over a game. Senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr., who previously spent time with TCU and Colorado, nearly posted a triple-double on Saturday with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Freshman forward Donnie Freeman chipped in 19 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Texas vs. Syracuse picks
The model has simulated Syracuse vs. Texas 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas vs. Syracuse, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Syracuse vs. Texas spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 156-114 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
