Syracuse (17-13, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) hopes for an NCAA Tournament resume-boosting win when it takes on Pittsburgh (17-13, 8-9) at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse lost, 71-65, the last time these two teams met two weeks ago in Atlanta.

Here’s how The Daily Orange beat writers think the game will unfold.

Connor Grossman (17-13)
Bee careful
Syracuse 63, Georgia Tech 60

Syracuse shouldn’t think it can waltz into its regular season finale and pry a win away from Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are on the cusp of their first NCAA Tournament berth in seven seasons, and a win in the Carrier Dome could get GT on the right side of the bubble. But on its home court, SU’s offense will be markedly improved from the sluggish performance it showed in Atlanta earlier this month. Georgia Tech’s offensive woes will persist, and the Orange comes away with a significant win before heading to the Barclays Center for the conference tournament.

Matt Schneidman (13-17)
Harmless sting
Syracuse 68, Georgia Tech 62

To spare itself at least a little sweat heading into the ACC tournament, Syracuse needs to beat Georgia Tech at home. The Orange’s visit to Atlanta got away in the second half, but don’t expect that same offensively lethargic SU team to show up on Senior Day in the Carrier Dome. The Orange secures a bye in Brooklyn, and more importantly may not even need to win a game there in order to make the Big Dance.

Paul Schwedelson (18-12)
Trending topics
Syracuse 65, Georgia Tech 58

The 71 points Syracuse allowed to Georgia Tech on Feb. 19 were the second fewest it’s allowed in a game since Jan. 14. The Orange’s only home conference loss came against then-No. 8 Louisville. Entering the final regular season game, the trends are clear. For whatever reason, SU is a different team at home. Whether or not Saturday is Syracuse’s last game in the Carrier Dome this season — if SU plays in the NIT, it would likely host games — the Orange is good when it plays there.

Published on March 2, 2017 at 10:06 pm