Syracuse vs. Indiana Prediction, Men's College Basketball Odds & Best Bets (11/9)
Fact checked at 9:44 AM ET, Nov 9, 2026
Odds as of 8:30 AM ET, Nov 9, 2026
Syracuse (2-0) and Indiana (2-0) tip off at 6:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It's a neutral floor, and it's the first game away from home this season for both teams. Neither has faced a high-major opponent this season. Syracuse beat New Haven 74-58 and Central Connecticut 102-49, and Indiana beat Eastern Illinois 91-57 and Bellarmine 92-69, all at home against overmatched teams. We expect both offenses to push this past the total, with Indiana's deeper group of high-major transfers pulling away late. Syracuse is again without Temple transfer guard Aiden Tobiason (hamstring), and Indiana is still missing freshman guard Prince-Alexander Moody (knee). Men's college basketball has no availability report, so both starting fives are projected.
Syracuse vs. Indiana Predictions
- Pick #1: Over 148 (-110)
- Pick #2: Indiana -5.5 (-109)
PICK #1: Over 148 (-110)
Indiana's defense has sagged after halftime in both games. Darian DeVries said his team let Eastern Illinois "parade right to the rim" in the second half of the opener, and that its "communication dropped defensively" against Bellarmine. Opponents are shooting 49% from the floor against the Hoosiers. Syracuse has the scorers to go after that: Gavin Doty (16.0 points), Kiyan Anthony (15.5), Mark Morano (12.5) and Sadiq White Jr. (11.0) all average double figures, and ten players scored in the rout of Central Connecticut.
Indiana can carry its share. The bench has averaged 43.0 points, Darren Harris hit five 3-pointers against Bellarmine, and freshman Trevor Manhertz has made four of his first eight from deep. Indiana's two games produced 148 and 161 points, and Syracuse's second game reached 151.
The bigger tickets agree: 85% of the money on the total is on the Over, from 67% of the bets. At -110 the implied probability is 52.4%. Public ratings put this game anywhere from about 147 to 153 points, so 148 is a fair ask rather than a soft one. If the step up in competition turns this into a half-court grind with both teams in the low 70s, it comes up short.
PICK #2: Indiana -5.5 (-109)
All six of Indiana's top players transferred in from high-major programs, including point guard Markus Burton from Notre Dame, Bryce Lindsay from Villanova and Harris from Duke. Syracuse's main additions came from Siena, Quinnipiac and App State, along with freshmen. The Orange are also playing without Tobiason, the Temple guard who was supposed to help in the backcourt, so freshman Ryan Moesch has been their main distributor.
You can see the depth gap in the box scores. Indiana had four double-figure scorers against Bellarmine on a night Burton scored two points, and Lindsay and Manhertz both come off the bench. How deep Syracuse can go against a better opponent is an open question. If this turns into the shootout we expect, Indiana has more shooters to keep sending out, and that should tell in the second half.
The main ratings make Indiana about a five-point favorite, so -109 (52.2% implied) isn't a bargain. We're betting on the backcourt matchup, with a shorthanded Syracuse seeing a high-major defense for the first time. Ball security and the glass are where Syracuse can hang around. Syracuse has turned it over only 6.5 times a game while Indiana has forced 17, and the Orange outrebounded Central Connecticut 45-20 with White and 6-foot-10 center Luke Wilson inside. Syracuse has also won the last six meetings, though the most recent came five seasons ago and each program kept only two players from last season.
21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
