2021 NCAA Tournament bracketology, odds: Syracuse among first 4 out of Big Dance field as Orange face NC State in ACC Tournament Wednesday

It's nothing short of a must-win game for Syracuse on Wednesday against NC State in the second round of the ACC Tournament as the Orange (15-8, 9-7 ACC) are listed among the "last 4 out" of the current NCAA Tournament field on the bracketology of both CBS Sports' Jerry Palm and ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Syracuse is a 2.5-point favorite over the Wolfpack on the William Hill Sportsbook college basketball odds for the noon ET tip from Greensboro, N.C. Check out the SportsLine Projection Model forecast of this game. 

Syracuse currently ranks No. 49 in the all-important NET rankings. The Orange were a tremendous 13-1 at home this season but obviously only 2-7 away from the Carrier Dome, and they are 1-6 against Quad 1 opponents. Coach Jim Boeheim's team did close the regular season with good home wins over North Carolina and Clemson, but neither are in Quad 1.

NC State (13-9, 9-8 ACC) is considered a Quad 2 opponent as the Wolfpack rank No. 66 in the NET rankings. They are not currently among even the "last 4 out" via Palm or Lunardi even though NC State enters on a five-game winning streak. The only quality win in there was Feb. 24 at No. 15 Virginia. Like Syracuse, the Wolfpack are 1-6 vs. Quad 1 opponents.

Syracuse was 2-0 vs. NC State this season, shooting a combined 42.5 percent from three-point range (17-for-40) in winning 76-73 on Jan. 31 at the Carrier Dome and 77-68 on Feb. 9 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the past five in this series.

It's often said to be tough to beat any college basketball opponent three times in one season, but since 1980 Syracuse has swept a regular-season series and then faced that club a third time on 19 different occasions. The Orange are 14-5 in that third game. The SportsLine Projection Model gives both Syracuse and NC State just a 4.8 percent chance of winning the ACC Tournament. They are both +2000 at William Hill. Wednesday's winner will face top-seeded Virginia on Thursday. 

Palm's other three "last 4 out" schools are Saint Louis (14-6) of the Atlantic 10, Ole Miss (15-10) of the SEC and Utah State (18-7) of the Mountain West. None are in action Wednesday.

The Billikens lost in the A-10 Tournament semifinals to regular-season champion St. Bonaventure, while the Rebels and Aggies open their respective conference tournaments on Thursday.

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