Two struggling ACC squads will look for a badly needed win tonight as the Syracuse Orange play host to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Both teams have been struggling on defense, which has me backing the Over in my Notre Dame vs. Syracuse predictions.
Let’s take a look at what bettors can expect from tonight’s game in my free college basketball picks for Saturday, January 31.
Notre Dame vs Syracuse prediction
Notre Dame vs Syracuse best bet: Over 144.5 (-110)
It’s not a good time to be a fan of either of these teams.
The Syracuse Orange season, which was starting to look promising, has been derailed by four straight losses, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has dropped six of seven, though a double-overtime loss to the Virginia Cavaliers this week offered some signs of hope.
Both teams are solid but unremarkable squads on both sides of the ball, each ranking within the top 100 in offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
But looking at recent results, it’s been the defenses that have let these schools down.
The Fighting Irish are allowing 81.9 ppg over their last seven games, a mark their offense simply can’t keep up with.
It’s been a similar story for the Orange: though they’ve allowed 69.9 ppg on the season, they’ve let opponents score 83.2 ppg over their last five contests, a number the Syracuse offense just doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with against solid opposition.
It’s hard to see these trends reversing overnight, especially for the Orange, who have allowed their last three opponents to shoot a combined 52.4%. And despite these issues stopping the ball for both teams, tonight’s total has still been set at a reasonable number.
That’s enough for me to back the Over.
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Notre Dame vs Syracuse same-game parlay
I’m taking a shot on Notre Dame to win this game outright. Neither the Irish nor the Orange have played well lately, but Notre Dame has at least shown life — the close loss to Virginia on Tuesday was promising — while Syracuse seems stuck in the mud right now.
I’ll also take Notre Dame forward Jalen Haralson to hit his scoring Over, as he’s gone for 17+ points in five of his last seven games.
Notre Dame vs Syracuse SGP
- Over 144.5
- Notre Dame moneyline
- Jalen Haralson Over 16.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Hawking the Glass!
Haralson has cleared this mark just once in his last eight games, but he’s finished with exactly four rebounds in five of those outings.
He should have plenty of chances to add to his total against a Syracuse team that’s been struggling on the glass.
Notre Dame vs Syracuse SGP
- Over 144.5
- Notre Dame moneyline
- Jalen Haralson Over 16.5 points
- Jalen Haralson Over 4.5 rebounds
Notre Dame vs Syracuse odds
- Spread: Notre Dame +4.5 (-105) | Syracuse -4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Notre Dame +177 | Syracuse -205
- Over/Under: Over 147 (-110) | Under 147 (-110)
Notre Dame vs Syracuse betting trend to know
The Over has an identical 6-1 record in the last seven games for both Notre Dame and Syracuse. Find more college basketball betting trends for Notre Dame vs. Syracuse.
How to watch Notre Dame vs Syracuse
| Location | JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Date | Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 6:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | CW |
Notre Dame vs Syracuse key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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