2013 Elite Eight Picks and Predictions: East Regional Final Syracuse vs Marquette Odds and Free Picks

2013 Elite Eight Picks and Predictions: Syracuse vs Marquette Odds and Predictions – Free Elite 8 Picks 3/30/2013: It is the final year of the Big East’s current alignment, but the conference is going out with a bang and is guaranteed to put at least one team in the Final Four thanks to Saturday’s East Regional Final matchup between fourth-seeded Syracuse and third-seeded Marquette. During the regular season, the Golden Eagles were the overachievers, winning a share of the Big East title despite being picked to finish in the middle of the pack. Meanwhile, the Orange entered the year as one of the favorites only to finish three games back of the conference co-champions. Different paths aside, both teams have reached the Elite Eight, and one will be cutting down the nets and heading to Atlanta. Despite finishing behind the Golden Eagles in the Big East, the Orange are 3 ½-point favorites in this matchup.

Saturday’s game is also a rematch of a regular season meeting that the Golden Eagles won 74-71 on their home court. Marquette forward Davante Gardner carried the scoring load for the Golden Eagles, pouring in 26 points on a seven-for-seven effort from the field. He also went 12-of-13 from the foul line as Marquette attempted 35 free throws compared to just seven for the Orange. The huge free throw disparity helped the Golden Eagles outlast strong efforts from Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams and forward C.J. Fair.

Of course, both sides are playing a lot better than they were when they met in late February. For one, Vander Blue and Marquette have been unflappable in crunch time, winning their first two games in the NCAA Tournament by a combined three points. Meanwhile, the Orange and Golden Eagles were both dominant in their Sweet 16 matchups as Marquette ran the second-seeded Miami Hurricanes right off the court and Syracuse’s zone stifled the high-powered offense of the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.

The Orange Win If:

It all starts with the 2-3 zone for Syracuse, and the Orange have to stop Blue and the other Marquette guards from penetrating off the dribble, getting to the rim and getting to the foul line. More importantly, Baye Keita and Rakeem Christmas have to keep Gardner from carving up the middle of the zone with easy scores in close. On the offensive end, Carter-Williams needs to continue to be aggressive and attack the rim as he did against Indiana. When he is in attack mode, Fair and Brandon Triche also have lanes to get into the paint and to the foul line. Consistent penetration also opens up perimeter looks for sharpshooter James Southerland. In the end, the Orange will win this game if they are the more aggressive team on offense, they neutralize Gardner in the post, and they force the Golden Eagles to become a jump-shooting team.

The Golden Eagles Win If:

An aggressive attitude on both ends of the court can carry the Golden Eagles to the Final Four. What Blue and company lack in terms of pure shooting ability, they make up for in their ability to take defenders off the dribble and get into the paint. Perimeter looks are tough to come by anyway against the Syracuse zone, but if the Golden Eagles’ guards can consistently get to the rim and if Gardner can get plenty of touches in the post, Marquette can exploit the holes in the Orange’s defense. When the Golden Eagles are on defense, preventing Carter-Williams from getting into the lane will crucial. Syracuse gets very little offense from beyond the arc and very little offense from its post players. If Marquette takes away the driving opportunities from the Orange, the Golden Eagles are going to be in great shape. At the end of the day, how well the Golden Eagles get into the middle of the Syracuse zone on offense and how well they keep the Orange out of the lane on defense will determine whether or not they advance.

Bottom Line:

They say familiarity breeds contempt, but in a battle of conference rivals it also means no secrets. Both sides know the strengths and weaknesses of the other, and in this particular matchup, the inside information is a huge advantage for Marquette. Syracuse’s 2-3 zone is one of the most confusing and unique defenses in the country, but it is always more effective against teams that are trying to deal with it for the first time. Just ask the Hoosiers, who scored 30 points below their season average and shot a season-low 34 percent against the Orange in the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles on the other hand have seen the 2-3 zone already, and they have shown they know exactly how to attack it. More importantly, they have the personnel to attack it thanks in large part to Blue and Gardner. A lack of perimeter firepower on both sides will keep this one close, but Marquette’s approach to beating the Syracuse zone and its own defensive prowess should push the Golden Eagles into the Final Four. The fact that they are actually getting points makes the Golden Eagles the easy choice.

Prediction: Marquette Golden Eagles (+5) Cover the Spread

Syracuse vs Marquette
Line: Syracuse -5
Total: 128
Time: 4:30 PM EST on CBS

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