Syracuse (14-10, 7-6 Atlantic Coast) has two more chances at a marquee win ahead of the ACC tournament. The first is Saturday afternoon against No. 8 Florida State (20-4,10-2). SU has lost three of four and leading scorer Elijah Hughes is dealing with a lower-body injury suffered before the Orange’s last game. Here’s what our beat writers predict for the matchup: 

Nick Alvarez (16-8)
One more
Florida State 84, Syracuse 73

The Orange should be given credit for how close the North Carolina State game was despite losing Hughes. But, moral victories don’t matter anymore. And Syracuse’s resume needs wins. The path to 20 is getting murkier and Florida State won’t make it any clearer. The Seminoles haven’t lost at home, force turnovers and protect the rim. SU’s recent struggles from 3 may only compound its issues. The Orange may put up a tougher fight if Hughes returns, but this season is on the brink. 

Michael McCleary (15-9)
Nole chance.
Florida State 87, Syracuse 65

Syracuse might not have Hughes for this game, and it’s an unlikely win from the start. That’s a recipe for a disaster. The Orange need one of these next two games (Florida State or Louisville) to keep its tournament hopes alive. To do that, SU would need some kind of otherworldly performance. The loss the other day didn’t destroy them, but this game sure can. It’s a big one for Syracuse, but Florida State is going for a No. 1 seed and has a lot of incentive to crush the Orange’s chances.

Josh Schafer (16-8)
No sunshine in that state
Florida State 85 Syracuse 71 

The Seminoles are one of the few consistently good teams in a bad ACC. It’s a tough road game from the start. Add in the fact that the conference’s second-leading scorer might not play for Syracuse and, if he does, he’ll likely be hurting. FSU hasn’t lost at home this year and will pressure Syracuse defensively all game long. The Orange need strong shooting from Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III to have a chance at winning. If Syracuse gets that, then anything can happen. It is, after all, the ACC in 2020.