Beat writers split if Syracuse can defeat Pitt in 2nd conference game

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Syracuse once again found itself clawing back in the second half against a nonconference team on Saturday against Cornell. Though they’ve won five straight games, the Orange have struggled out of the gate in each of the eventual wins. Now, in their second Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season, they welcome Pittsburgh to the JMA Wireless Dome. 

Though the Panthers haven’t finished above .500 in a regular season since 2015-16, they’re off to an 8-4 start, and head coach Jim Boeheim said on Saturday that they are playing some of the best basketball he’s seen. 

Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Pittsburgh takes on Syracuse:

Anish Vasudevan (10-2) 
Holiday blueprint
Syracuse 76, Pitt 71

The Orange have started slow in their last two games, only coming out on top because their opponents — Monmouth and Cornell — basically beat themselves. Boeheim said postgame on Saturday that Syracuse improved defensively throughout the game, but it only won because the Big Red shot roughly 23% from the field and from beyond the arc in the second half.

Pittsburgh won’t provide Syracuse with an easy comeback. If SU wants any chance to win, it can’t start slow like it has the whole season. Judah Mintz (who was once committed to Pitt) needs to break through the Panthers defense as early as possible. Chris Bell or Benny Williams can’t wait until the second half to score. And the defense can’t allow open deep shots early. 

These solutions are easier said than done but this matchup against a mid-tier ACC team is the perfect chance to play up to the competition. Pittsburgh turns the ball over more than 200 other teams in the country, according to KenPom, so if Mintz and the rest of the zone can take advantage in transition, Syracuse can build substantial momentum in the first half and carry it out throughout the night.

Connor Smith (10-2)
All about those boards 
Pitt 73, Syracuse 68

This will likely prove to be the best Pitt team that’s played on Jim Boeheim Court since Jamie Dixon roamed the sidelines as the Panthers’ head coach. Jeff Capel has turned things around, and Pittsburgh is a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender this season, and not a team Syracuse should take lightly. Outside of blowout losses to West Virginia and Michigan, Pitt has been competitive in every game, and that won’t be any different on Tuesday night inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

Syracuse has been playing well, too, especially during its five-game win streak. The win over Cornell would’ve likely ended as a loss had it been played just a few weeks earlier. This young SU team is beginning to gain a firmer grasp of the 2-3 zone, and that’s paying dividends. 

But what will swing this game Tuesday, in my mind, is Pitt’s ability to crash the glass. The Panthers are No. 4 in the ACC in rebounding margin (+ 2.8) and top-50 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. The two other top-50 teams Syracuse has played so far — St. John’s and Illinois — both beat the Orange. And with SU unable to even outrebound Cornell, I don’t have my hopes up for it to do so against a big Pitt team that will put an end to what’s been an important winning streak for Syracuse. 

Anthony Alandt (8-4) 
Mistakes catch up to ya
Pittsburgh 77, Syracuse 70

Syracuse is riding a five-game winning streak, but it hasn’t been the most successful stretch of games to wrap up nonconference play. The Orange have been down by double digits against Monmouth, Georgetown and Cornell, but used late first-quarter runs to build enough of a cushion for a second-half win. Pittsburgh is no joke, and the Panthers have a much better lineup than some of the teams SU has narrowly gotten past thus far.

Pitt shoots better from the field and defends better than each of the last four teams. Its offensive rebounding rate is 47th in the country, and Syracuse still can’t seem to figure out how to successfully rebound as a team despite Jesse Edwards averaging 11.3 boards per game. Expect another quick lead built by the Panthers, then a comeback, by Syracuse in the second half. But don’t expect the Orange to be able to close out this one or Pittsburgh to cool off like many of SU’s other opponents.