Syracuse (9-1) returns to the Carrier Dome on Tuesday after winning its first game on the road against Georgetown 86-79. The Orange hosts Buffalo (7-3) for a 7 p.m. tip-off which marks SU’s third-to-last nonconference game.
 
See who our beat writers predict in the matchup here:
 
Matthew Gutierrez (10-0)
The Golden Snowball
Syracuse 75, Buffalo 58
 
Syracuse, New York is already off to an early lead in The Golden Snowball Award, besting Buffalo by three and a half inches, according to GoldenSnowball.com. The award, handed to the upstate New York city with the most snow, foreshadows a Syracuse win on the hardwood. The Orange will beat a solid 7-3 Buffalo team, and SU should get wins over its next four opponents at home to be 13-1 come conference play.

Tomer Langer (10-0)
Running with the Bulls
Syracuse 83, Buffalo 71
 
The Orange flashed an impressive recovery ability after taking a few blows against Georgetown before rallying back to send the game to overtime and eventually win. The game after this one is against St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies are ranked significantly higher than Georgetown on Kenpom.com and also beat Maryland, like SU. That makes this Buffalo a game — sandwiched between the high emotions of the win over the Hoyas and right before SU’s last real nonconference test — a classic “trap game.” I think SU’s defense might come out flat early on Tuesday preventing it from ever really pulling away from the Bulls.