Syracuse (7-1) is fresh off a 72-63 win over Connecticut on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic. Now the Orange heads back to the Carrier Dome for a matchup with Colgate (3-5). Syracuse owns the all-time series against the Raiders 124-45, and hasn’t lost to Colgate since 1962.

Our beat writers pick apart the matchup and offer their predictions for the showdown.

Sam Fortier (8-0)
My Shiny Teeth and Me
Syracuse 79, Colgate 60

A 3-5 Red Raiders squad that doesn’t shoot particularly well from the outside or boast anyone taller than 6-foot-9 on its roster is tough to pick. Plus, the team’s two best players — Jordan Burns and Will Rayman — are underclassmen. This game serves as a tune-up for Syracuse players hoping to get back on track like Frank Howard, and lower-tier opposition to continue boosting confidence like Matthew Moyer and Oshae Brissett. Syracuse rolls over Colgate to prepare for finals week.

Matthew Gutierrez (8-0)
Clean smile
Syracuse 83, Colgate 57

The Orange can ride a sizable win over Hamilton foe Colgate ahead of a more even matchup at Georgetown Dec. 16. A rollover against the Raiders could be the second win of an important nonconference December slate for SU, as the Orange also plays non-Power 5 schools such as Buffalo, St. Bonaventure and Eastern Michigan this month. Syracuse should take care of all of them, starting with Colgate.

Tomer Langer (8-0)
Scrubbed
Syracuse 83, Colgate 64

Syracuse escaped its toughest three-game stretch so far with a 2-1 record, playing at a level we’d expect. Now, the Orange will get a much easier matchup against Colgate. Frank Howard played terribly on Tuesday and SU still won. I don’t think he plays that poorly again, and I don’t think this game winds up being particularly close.

Published on December 7, 2017 at 8:49 pm