Syracuse (14-5, 5-1 Atlantic Coast) travels to Blacksburg, Virginia on Saturday to play No. 10 Virginia Tech (15-3, 4-2) at 8 p.m. The Hokies are coming off a blowout loss at North Carolina while the Orange have won three-straight, including a 20-point win over Miami on Thursday.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen Saturday night.

Billy Heyen (15-4)
Bump on the road
Virginia Tech 81, Syracuse 71

Syracuse enters Saturday as one of three teams in the country (along with No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Duke) not to lose a true road game this season. I think Virginia Tech is simply too good for the Orange to continue that streak. Tyus Battle will show up, as he does in big games, but VT’s offense is too good, one through five, for Syracuse to keep up. By no means will it be a bad loss on the resume, but it’ll be a loss.

Charlie DiSturco (14-5)
Do the Hokie Pokey
Virginia Tech 77, Syracuse 73

Syracuse is as hot a team as ever and shooting the lights out, but Virginia Tech’s high-powered offense will be able to pick apart the zone. The Hokies are a great 3-point shooting team and are one of the most dangerous home teams in college basketball. The Orange have a chance, and they did stop a very similar VT team inside the Carrier Dome last season. But I see Syracuse’s three-game win streak coming to an end on Saturday, as SU loses its first true road game of the year in a nail biter.

Matthew Gutierrez (13-6)
Make it six
Syracuse 77, Virginia Tech 75

I don’t think Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, even at its best, can fully shut down the high-powered Hokies. The way to win in what will be a loud, packed arena against a top-10 team: score. At then-No.1 Duke less than two weeks ago, the Orange proved that’s the way to beat top teams on the road. SU has the firepower. It’s just a matter of putting the offensive pieces together for 40 minutes. Syracuse beats VT and improves to 6-1 in the ACC.

Published on January 25, 2019 at 3:50 pm