Syracuse Orange vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 03/12/25

The ACC Tournament continues tonight with a second-round matchup between the 14th-seeded Syracuse Orange and the 6th-seeded SMU Mustangs. Syracuse survived a sluggish battle against Florida State yesterday, grinding out a 66-62 victory despite both teams struggling from the field. Each side shot under 45% overall and below 25% from 3, but it was enough for the Orange advance. Syracuse’s season has been an uphill battle, ranking 205th in offensive efficiency and an even worse 312th defensively. Their only strength has been rebounding, but even that tilts in SMU’s favor. The Orange are led by JJ Starling (17.9 PPG) and Eddie Lampkin (11.7 PPG), but losing Donnie Freeman to injury in early January derailed their already fragile offensive attack.

On the other side, SMU comes in as the clearly superior team — averaging 81.1 points per game with a well-balanced attack. The Mustangs rank 31st in offensive efficiency and a respectable 135th on defense. Unlike Syracuse, they don’t rely on a single scorer. Kevin Miller (13.4 PPG) and Chuck Harris (12.9 PPG) lead the way, but 6 different players average double-figures — making them difficult to defend. SMU is a -8.5 favorite — which seems fair given the talent gap — but Syracuse kept things competitive in their last meeting. With the Orange’s defensive struggles and SMU’s fast-paced offense, expect a high-scoring affair in Charlotte.

Syracuse vs SMU prediction: Over 151 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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