Syracuse has now lost two straight after winning five in a row but just had a week off after its 97-88 loss to Duke last Saturday. Against the Blue Devils, Marek Dolezaj led the Orange in scoring with 22 points, but Syracuse (13-9, 6-5 Atlantic Coast) had no answers inside for Duke center Vernon Carey. Wake Forest — Syracuse’s opponent on Saturday night in the Carrier Dome — is the worst team in the ACC, though. Most recently, the Demon Deacons (10-12, 3-9) suffered a 10-point loss to Louisville three days ago.

Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen in the Syracuse-Wake Forest matchup Saturday night.

Nick Alvarez (15-7)
No Chance in Hell
Syracuse 85, Wake Forest 75

This week off couldn’t have come at a better time for Syracuse. Players talked about it extensively after the close loss to Duke. The Orange essentially played one game every four days since beating Virginia on Jan. 11. By the end, they wore down in a one-point loss to Clemson and fell flat against the Blue Devils. But now rested, SU should have an easy time against Wake Forest on Saturday night. The Demon Deacons shouldn’t out-shoot Syracuse. And while 7-foot Olivier Sarr may pose a problem, the junior center hasn’t helped Wake Forest much in conference play. The Orange’s next three games will be crucial and expect them to enter with a win. 

Michael McCleary (14-8)
Wake up and smell the coffee
Syracuse 87, Wake Forest 70

There’s very little chance that Syracuse loses this game. Other than maybe a slight change in momentum, the last two games for the Orange don’t change their overall outlook and improvement. Wake Forest is the worst team in the ACC. Syracuse is somewhere around the fourth or fifth best team, judging by recent conference success. The math is simple.

Josh Schafer (15-7)
Deforestation
Syracuse 83 Wake Forest 68 

In a year of a bad ACC that ESPN currently has sending three teams to the NCAA tournament, Wake Forest is last in the conference. The Demon Deacons don’t shoot the 3-pointer well and don’t force many turnovers on defense. They don’t fit the mold of a team poised to pull off an upset in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse’s main challenge will be stopping Wake Forest’s big man, Olivier Sarr. If the Orange can prevent the 7-foot center from dominating down low, they should maintain control of this one. 

Published on February 8, 2020 at 9:57 am