Syracuse (10-1) took down Buffalo on Tuesday night, 81-74, and will play its second-straight game in the Carrier Dome against St. Bonaventure (9-2) tonight. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be the second-to-last nonconference game for the Orange.

See who our beat writers predict in the matchup here:

Matthew Gutierrez (11-0)
Bonafide Threat
Syracuse 72, St. Bonaventure 66

The Bonnies, coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons, are the real deal. A favorite in the Atlantic 10, they pose as a legitimate threat to upset the Orange come Friday night. St. Bonaventure returns four starters from last season, including guards Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley, a pair that scored more points last year than any returning duo in the nation and combine to average 35.7 points per game this season for a 9-2 team. But while the Bonnies beat Maryland and Buffalo, Syracuse will come away with a win to improve to 11-1 because the Bonnies don’t have the size to compete on the boards with SU. That doesn’t bode well for the visitors.

Tomer Langer (11-0)
Bonnies and Clyde
Syracuse 75, St. Bonaventure 71

Syracuse has had a habit of playing to the level of its competition this year — it struggled to put away teams like Iona and Buffalo, but had an impressive win against Maryland as well — and I think that continues on Friday. The Bonnies beat Maryland this year and pose threats that could exploit the Orange’s weaknesses. St. Bonaventure ranks 17th per Kenpom.com at forcing turnovers, doing it on 24.1 of possessions, while Syracuse is a middle of the pack team at protecting the ball. But I don’t think Tyus Battle gets shut out the way he was on Tuesday when he scored just 13 points, and SU does just enough to escape with a win.

Sam Fortier (11-0)
Bonniesvoyage
Syracuse 70, St. Bonaventure 68

The Bonnies are small but make up for it by playing quick and toughening up on defense (ninth in steal percentage). They’re also the eighth-best team in the country at getting to the free-throw line and hit 38.4 percent of their 3s, which is a recipe to beat the Orange’s zone. St. Bonaventure’s two star guards, Adams and Mobley, are senior leaders for one of the more experienced teams in the nation. The Orange shouldn’t and won’t sleep on the Bonnies, and the resiliency displayed against Georgetown and Buffalo still pushes SU over the edge for me in this one.

Published on December 22, 2017 at 10:14 am