Syracuse (7-2) ended Georgetown’s winning streak last Saturday on a Tyus Battle game-winning shot. This Saturday, the Orange and Old Dominion (7-3) both enter their noon meeting in the Carrier Dome on five-game winning streaks. ODU is coming off a 79-69 win over Fairfield last Saturday.

Here’s what our beat writers expect to happen between Syracuse and Old Dominion.

Billy Heyen (8-1)
King of the hill
Syracuse 67, Old Dominion 60

Old Dominion enters Saturday’s matchup with one of the best defenses in the country. The Monarchs also boast a senior-heavy backcourt, with stars Ahmad Caver and B.J. Stith both providing offense from beyond the arc and close to the rim. Strong defense and veteran guards are two sure-fire assets for an upset bid, and I expect Old Dominion to hang around with Syracuse for much of the way Saturday. But as Tyus Battle and company proved against Georgetown, the Orange know how to finish, and that skill will prove valuable down the stretch of a sixth-straight win for SU.

Charlie DiSturco (7-2)
On a roll
Syracuse 68, Old Dominion 61

This is not a game to take lightly. Old Dominion is a strong defensive team, ranking second in the country in defensive 2-point field goal percentage, with a pair of 7-foot tall men that could disrupt Syracuse inside the paint. The Big Blue is also ran by veteran senior point guard Ahmad Caver, who averages 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. The Orange will need Frank Howard back and better than ever to help stave off an upset-hungry ODU team. This game will be close before SU pulls away at the end.

Matthew Gutierrez (6-3)
Oldie but goodie
Syracuse 72, Old Dominion 65

The Orange improve to 8-2 with a strong showing Saturday afternoon. Head coach Jim Boeheim said after the Georgetown win that senior point guard Frank Howard would have one week — one week to get back to the floor general we know from last season. Therein lies the most intriguing aspect of this matinee: How does SU’s guard look? His emergence is key for SU come the Top 25 matchup Tuesday night against Buffalo.

Published on December 14, 2018 at 11:36 am