After Syracuse’s season-opening historic loss to then-No. 11 Virginia, the Orange will take a step down in competition when they take on 2018-19 Patriot League champion Colgate. The Raiders trailed by three heading into halftime last season in the Carrier Dome, before the Orange eventually pulled away to win. This season, Jordan Burns, Colgate’s top player is back. But as of Wednesday night, Syracuse is 10.5-point favorites per Pinnacle with a total of 137points.

Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Colgate visits the Carrier Dome on Wednesday at 7 p.m.:

Nick Alvarez (1-0)
Air-Raiders
Syracuse 76, Colgate 63

Syracuse’s offensive performance against Virginia was so historically inefficient. I wouldn’t blame anyone for not only pulling out the panic button, but contemplating to push it, after just one game. But, the Orange shouldn’t be overmatched on Wednesday night, and a dreaded 0-2 start should be avoided. UVA and the pack line-defense was arguably the worst team to unfurl a new 3-point-heavy game plan against. The Raiders don’t pose as nearly a stout-defensive unit, allowing 14 3s in their first two games (30.4%). So, Buddy Boeheim and Elijah Hughes could be primed for bounce-back outings. Jordan Burns’ shooting or Rapolas Ivanauskas’ interior presence can be the deciders in an upset-bid, but Syracuse should outlast last year’s near-Cinderella.

Michael McCleary (1-0)
Mr. Clean
Syracuse 68, Colgate 56

Syracuse looked sloppy last game, but at the very least its defense looked solid. The Orange offense stooped to a new low last Wednesday, but luckily for them the Colgate defense is nothing near that of Virginia. It’s the Raiders’ offense — and Jordan Burns — that will be the Orange’s biggest test, and it seems like the scrappy and long SU zone will be up to the task of defending a guard-heavy lineup. The questions as to whether or not Syracuse can score consistently still remain, but Colgate should give them ample opportunity to play a much cleaner game. In a game like that, I’ll take the ACC team.

Josh Schafer (1-0)
Like a trip to the dentist
Syracuse 63, Colgate 55

It’s tough to expect much out of an opening night loss to a team that’s had a top defense over the last half of the decade. With that said, I wouldn’t expect the Orange to repeat anything near what they did, or didn’t do, against Virginia. Colgate’s a stronger opponent than many fans may realize. Though a Patriot League team, the Raiders nearly beat Tennessee in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament and have the shooting to pull off an upset in the Carrier Dome. Through two games, Colgate has allowed other teams to score at a nearly 50% clip from the field. We’ll see the Orange’s scoring ability on Wednesday when the monsters of the pack line defense aren’t out to play against SU. If it’s as improved as it should be, Syracuse can hang on for a win against a threatening non-Power 5 matchup.

Published on November 12, 2019 at 8:47 pm