Syracuse (19-11, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) faces Florida State (17-12, 7-10) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Tallahassee with a chance to reach double-digit wins in conference and inch that much closer to a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange handled the Seminoles in the Carrier Dome last month, so let’s see how our beat writers predict this matchup to play out.

Sam Blum (19-11)
Syracuse 70, Florida State 60
Win

This is no time for jokes, so I won’t make one. Syracuse has to win on Saturday. If it doesn’t, this entire roller coaster season might all be moot. The ups, the downs. The good times, the bad. It all might mean home-court advantage in the NIT. A win against another bubble team on the road is exactly what the Orange needs to push it over the edge and safely into the field. A loss and then there’s no telling what will come next.

Jesse Dougherty (21-9)
Syracuse 81, Florida State 72
Gonna win State

Syracuse needs this game and it comes out and plays like it in Tallahassee. Stopping Florida State’s perimeter scorers was the key when these teams met in February, and it continues to be the deciding factor in each of the squads’ regular-season finale. With the game in question and the Orange needing a run, Michael Gbinije will be “that guy” for his team and propel SU to a resume-padding victory.

Matt Schneidman (22-8)
Syracuse 73, Florida State 66
Spearheaded

Last time these two teams played, Syracuse held the freshman tandem of Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley in check in the second half. Maybe this game would lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament, maybe it wouldn’t. But if SU can get to 10 wins in the ACC, that’ll pop on the ‘ol resume, and it’ll have to hold the freshman in check while getting hot from 3 on its own end.