NCAAB: Pat Picks ACC showdown between the Seminoles and Orange

Florida State @ Syracuse, 8 pm
THE PICK: Syracuse -2

Tuesday night gives us a highly contested ACC matchup, when the Florida State Seminoles (16-5) hit the road to take on the Syracuse Orange (16-6). The Seminoles come in winners of three straight games, all against the bottom half of the ACC. Despite the streak, the wins have been far from convincing, playing sloppy and inefficient basketball at times. On the other side of things, Syracuse comes back to the Carrier Dome following a road win at Pittsburgh. The Orange are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games, while Florida State is 1-4 ATS on the road this year.

Looking further into the matchup, Syracuse possesses a top 10 scoring defense, ranking top 40 in turnovers forced. This could spell trouble for Florida State, who ranks in the top 100 in average turnovers per game. Syracuse relies on its length and patented 2-3 zone to force their opponent into taking perimeter shots. This also doesn’t bode well for FSU. The Seminoles rank an abysmal 225th in 3-point field goal percentage. Look for Syracuse to bolster their tournament resumé with a victory over the #22 ranked Seminoles and cover the 2-point spread.