Beat writers split on Syracuse-Duke matchup

No. 13 Syracuse (4-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) hosts No. 2 Duke (8-1) at Cicero-North Syracuse High School on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Orange are coming off their best offensive performance of the season in an 18-14 win over Rutgers. Duke most-recently beat then-No. 5 Towson 12-10 at home.
Here’s what the beat writers expect for the outcome of Sunday’s game.

Andrew Graham (4-2)
No Dome, No Problem
Syracuse 16, Duke 15

CICERO — Syracuse, for the first time in 30 years, is playing a home game outdoors. No. 2 Duke is up to central New York for a visit, bringing a top-15 scoring offense (14th) and defense (eighth). But SU’s offense is on a tear, averaging 15.3 goals a game over its past three contests. If the defense can return to its early-season level and No. 1 defender Nick Mellen can slow Joe Robertson, the Blue Devils’ leading attacker, the Orange have more than a chance. Toss in that the Orange need to win this game to have any hope of winning the ACC regular-season title, and I expect Syracuse to be on the gas from the start. Even without the Dome over their heads, give me SU with the upset on Sunday.

Michael McCleary (4-2)
Cicero-North SYRACUSE
Syracuse 15, Duke 14

Don’t get this twisted: this is still a home game for Syracuse. Playing outdoors for the first time all year, I think the Orange will look a lot like they have in the Carrier Dome for the last couple week of the season. SU’s offense has been on fire and I wouldn’t expect it to slow down against the Blue Devils. Duke has a good balance on each side: it averages a healthy 13.33 goals on the offensive side and only allows nine per game on defense. But Syracuse has shown over the past couple of weeks that their play as of late was not a fluke, and with the recent trend it should flip the script of a recent close loss to Virginia. This one could go to overtime, but expect Syracuse to come out of this game with its biggest win so far this season.

Nick Alvarez (3-3)
CNS Blues
Duke 15, Syracuse 13

All the ingredients for a Syracuse upset are present. The Orange are coming off a pair of comeback wins and its offense has performed unexpectedly well in recent weeks. Yet, the Blue Devils are one of the best teams in the country and SU isn’t at that level. Not yet, anyway. The Orange’s stout defense has been exposed in recent weeks and the trio of Joe Robertson, Brad Smith and Joe Manown should only provide further struggles. If Syracuse can devise a defensive game plan to limit one of the best offenses in the country, it should have a chance to attack a less-than-formidable Duke goalie in Turner Uppgren. Look for the Orange’s midfield to carry them, but the visitors pull one away in Syracuse’s first true-home game away from the Carrier Dome in 30 years.