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Syracuse lost for the fifth time in seven games on Saturday against Duke, falling to the Blue Devils 79-59 and losing Symir Torrence to a knee injury in the game’s final minutes. On Tuesday, the Orange travel to Pittsburgh and will face the Panthers for the final time this season — attempting to build on a 16-point win in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 11.

Pitt, like Syracuse, has strung together just two victories in its last seven games, and the Panthers currently sit 14th out of 15 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Forward John Hugley leads the Panthers in scoring with 15.8 points per game, and he’s scored at least 15 points in the three games since SU held him to eight two weeks ago.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 ACC) faces Pitt (7-12, 2-6) at the Petersen Events Center.

Andrew Crane (13-6)
A brief escape
Syracuse 77, Pittsburgh 68

The most interesting question facing the Orange this week, and maybe for longer, is how their guard position reacts to Torrence’s injury. Is Cole Swider capable of handling the two spot? Can Paddy Casey really step in and play significant minutes? Who, out of Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard III and Swider, handles the ball when defenses amp up their pressure? Jim Boeheim said on Monday that Torrence probably won’t play this week, and that’ll have a significant impact for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest, but I think SU can still cruise past the Panthers even without its reserve point guard.

A win against Pittsburgh won’t save the Orange’s chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, but a loss certainly would deflate those hopes even more. The Panthers could keep it interesting for a half with Hugley involved, but look for an offensive balance of Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim to help lift Syracuse over the Panthers and into a matchup against the Demon Deacons, where its depth issues will become more of a focal point.

Roshan Fernandez (11-8)
Got ‘em again
Syracuse 78, Pittsburgh 70

Syracuse should win its second game against Pittsburgh this season — this one should be straightforward, and the Orange aren’t going to get many more of those this year. Pittsburgh’s offense hasn’t topped 65 points in its last four contests, and its defense ranks 153rd, per KenPom. The Panthers aren’t good at defending the 3-point arc, either, and aren’t good at making 3-pointers.

All that should set SU up for another confidence-boosting win over the Panthers. Syracuse has all five starters averaging double-digit points on offense, and played its best defensive game of the season against Pittsburgh on Jan. 11, according to Boeheim. It’s easier said than done, but all they have to do is do it again.

Gaurav Shetty (11-8)
A gimme
Syracuse 79, Pittsburgh 63

While the Duke loss was a blowout, the expectations for Syracuse weren’t that high. But Syracuse should win against Pittsburgh — at least that’s the expectation. The first time these two teams squared off a couple weeks ago, Syracuse controlled the game for the most part. Pitt notably came back toward the end of the first half by getting hot from 3, but immediately cooled off after halftime. I don’t believe Pitt has what it takes to have the sustained shooting it needs to beat Syracuse. Going forward, a win over Pitt could not only boost Syracuse back up to .500 but also kickstart a win streak, with a string of winnable games beginning with Pitt.

Published on January 24, 2022 at 9:00 pm