Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Texas and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Syracuse 41-30.
Texas entered the matchup having won three straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will Syracuse step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Syracuse Orange @ Texas Longhorns
Current Records: Syracuse 3-0, Texas 3-1
How To Watch
What to Know
Syracuse has played every game this season on their home court, but they’ll have to hit the road on Thursday. They will face off against the Texas Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. ET at Barclays Center. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Saturday, Syracuse needed a bit of extra time to put away Youngstown State. They came out on top against the Penguins by a score of 104-95.
Syracuse’s victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was J.J. Starling, who went 14 for 23 en route to 38 points plus seven rebounds. What’s more, Starling also posted a 60.9% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in January. Eddie Lampkin Jr. was another key player, dropping a double-double on 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Syracuse was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Youngstown State only posted nine.
Meanwhile, Texas waltzed into their match on Saturday with two straight wins… but they left with three. They put a hurting on the Delta Devils to the tune of 89-43. The Longhorns have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three contests by 31 points or more this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Texas to victory, but perhaps none more so than Arthur Kaluma, who went 5 for 8 en route to 18 points plus seven rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Kadin Shedrick, who scored 12 points in addition to seven rebounds and four blocks.
Syracuse pushed their record up to 3-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Texas, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Syracuse has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 47 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Texas struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 38.8. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we’ll see if one team can grab an edge.
Syracuse is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs this season.
Odds
Texas is a big 10.5-point favorite against Syracuse, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Longhorns, as the game opened with the Longhorns as a 8.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 154.5 points.
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