California Golden Bears vs Syracuse Orange Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Syracuse vs California NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Berkeley.

Syracuse vs California Prediction

Planning on watching today's Orange and Golden Bears game? Catch the action at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, CA, as the Golden Bears hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN2. This Atlantic Coast conference matchup has an over/under of 149.5 points, and California is favored to win by -4.5 at home vs. Syracuse.

Syracuse vs. California Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Syracuse Orange at California Golden Bears
Where: Berkeley at Haas Pavilion
Date: Saturday, February 1st
Betting Odds CAH -4.5, SYRA +160 | CAH -200 O/U 149.5

Orange Preview: No Pressure for Syracuse as Away Dogs

Syracuse Orange Recent Game/Games

Syracuse fell to 9-12 on the season after a 70-61 road loss to Stanford on Wednesday. Entering the game as +12 point underdogs, the Orange managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the 147.5 O/U line.

Syracuse trailed 33-24 at halftime but matched Stanford’s 37 points in the 2nd half. Despite the loss, the Orange showed resilience by keeping the game closer than expected.

Orange Offense Breakdown

Syracuse managed just 61 points in their last game, shooting 46.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.1%. They hit 56.7% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 6-for-19 for a 31.6% three-point shooting rate.

Maxime Raynaud led the way with 21 points and 15 rebounds, despite shooting 41.2% overall and 30.0% from three. Jaquan Carlos was perfect from the field, hitting 6-of-6 shots, including 2-of-2 from three, finishing with 16 points and 3 assists.

Orange Team Defense

Syracuse's defense gave up 70 points in this one, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field on 24 of 55 attempts. They allowed 17 two-point baskets on 32 attempts, a 53% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Syracuse's defense held the other team to 7 threes on 23 attempts, a 30% shooting percentage. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 19 times, where they made 15, shooting 78%. Syracuse gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Golden Bears Preview: Will California Win at Home?

California Golden Bears Recent Game/Games

California dropped to 11-10 on the season after a 76-65 road loss to SMU on Wednesday. The Golden Bears, who were +13.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread.

Cal trailed 39-29 at halftime but kept things close in the 2nd half, scoring 36 points while allowing 37. The game’s total points of 141 fell short of the 151.5 O/U line.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

California struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 34.3% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc, connecting on only 5 of 25 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.8%, and they shot 66.7% from the free-throw line, hitting 14 of 21 attempts.

Chuck Harris led the Golden Bears with 20 points, shooting 54.5% overall and 50% from three-point range. Rytis Petraitis added 18 points and 10 rebounds, making 60% of his shots and hitting 2 of 3 from deep. Matt Cross also contributed with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California's defense gave up 76 points, with the opposing team shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 21 two-point field goals on 40 attempts, a 52% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, the opposition hit 6 of 20 three-point attempts, shooting 30%. California also sent them to the line 19 times, where they made 16 free throws, an 84% success rate. The Golden Bears gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Orange vs Golden Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last three road contests, Syracuse has a 3-0 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 70 points per game.
California has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 61 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
The last ten games that Syracuse was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-5-1 while going 1-9 straight up.
In their last five contests as the favorite, California has a poor record vs the spread going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-2.