25* Sweet 16 GAME OF THE YEAR on Syracuse -3.5

Wisconsin vs. Syracuse, 03/22/2012 19:15 EDT, Score: 63 - 64

Point Spread: -3½/-107 Syracuse

Sportsbook: 5Dimes

Result: Loss

The Syracuse Orange should be a much bigger favorite tonight over the Wisconsin Badgers. This team has been undervalued ever since it was stated that Fab Melo would be ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. They showed against Kansas State in the Round of 32 that they could be just as dominant as they have been all season.

The Orange throttled the Wildcats 75-59, making 51.1 percent of their shots while limiting K-State to just 31.3 percent shooting. Syracuse (33-2) certainly doesn't get the respect that every other No. 1 seed gets. That's evident by the fact that all the other No. 1 seeds are at least a 7-point favorite in this round.

There's a reason why Bo Ryan and his Wisconsin Badgers rarely ever make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. That's because they have to win ugly to win at all. That style rarely works against top-notch teams like Syracuse, who can push the pace and control the tempo with their athleticism. The Orange are scoring 10.5 more points/game than Wisconsin, and their athleticism will overwhelm the Badgers in this one.

Syracuse is 26-9 ATS in road games after game - where they allowed a shooting pct. of 33% or less since 1997. The Orange are 28-13 ATS in road games vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts after 15+ games since 1997. Syracuse is 41-16 ATS in road games after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game since 1997. Bet the Orange Wednesday.