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Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech: Official TNIAAM Score Predictions & Poll

The Orange want to be 2-0 in ACC play, but can they do it?

Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Syracuse Orange (10-4) head to Atlanta for their second ACC game of the season, a showdown with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-4). Tipping at 7 p.m., the game will be televised on ESPNU and ESPN3. The Jackets are coming off of a double-overtime loss to Notre Dame while the Orange outlasted Virginia Tech. Will the end results be the same for both teams? Let's find out what everyone thinks...

Brian Tahmosh

Syracuse 68 - Georgia Tech 62

It's gonna be a bit of a slugfest, but I think some folks are overrating the Yellow Jackets. This is a team that lost at home to USC Upstate a month ago. I'm also a lot more worried about teams that share the ball well because of how they can carve up the zone. Georgia Tech ranks 227th in the nation with just 12 assists per game, and actually is less of a scoring threat than the Orange with just 67.5 points per game. It won't be pretty, but it will be another road win.

Michael Burke

Syracuse 71 - Georgia Tech 63

Like most, I was surprised (and impressed) that Georgia Tech managed to push Notre Dame to double overtime in South Bend. But you can’t convince me that the Yellow Jackets, with a home loss to South Carolina Upstate and near-losses (also at home) to both IPFW and Charlotte already on their resume, are capable of playing that well in back-to-back games. En route to a fifth straight win, expect the Orange to look far more like the the team that was so dominant in the first half against Virginia Tech than the one that nearly blew a 19-point lead in the second half.

Jeremy Ryan

Syracuse 60 - Georgia Tech 55

Let's be real: Georgia Tech is not a very good offensive basketball team. They're ranked 190th in the nation in points per game, 227th in assists, and 220th in field goal percentage. Syracuse's zone should swallow them whole and spit them out. However, the Jackets do like to hit the glass to the tune of 40 rebounds a game. SU is not far behind at 39 per, so whoever wins the rebounding battle could very well win the game. I think the Orange will prevail, but it will be a close one.

Sean Keeley

Syracuse 68 - Georgia Tech 63

Here's the good news...Georgia Tech isn't all that great. Here's the bad news, the team that Syracuse needs to defeat is Syracuse and they continue to have problems doing that for a full game. Since they can rebound, I expect GT to ride that advantage and I fully expect things to get testy in the paint, leading to foul trouble for a certain holiday-themed Syracuse center. If that's the case, don't expect the Orange to pull away at any point. However, they've got the talent to pull out another hard-fought ACC road victory and keep the momentum going. I hope.

Dan Lyons

Syracuse 72 - Georgia Tech 66

Another hard fought game against one of the teams that we should have a decent talent advantage against, but I'm not ready to take anything for granted with this Orange team. I wouldn't be shocked if Tech pulled an upset here. The Yellow Jackets shoot under 24% from deep as a team, which is not a great start when trying to beat the Syracuse zone, especially without a top-level playmaking forward to work from the inside-out. Unless Tech gets hot and can stretch Syracuse out, I'll take the Orange in a slog.

John Cassillo

Syracuse 64 - Georgia Tech 60

Georgia Tech's much better than Virginia Tech, and we saw how the Orange struggled to put the Hokies away. And yet, this game should be a slightly better outcome for SU nonetheless. Rakeem Christmas and Chris McCullough are able to cancel out the Wreck's strength on the boards, and with some passable shooting from one of Michael Gbinije or Trevor Cooney, Syracuse finds its way out of this one. Plenty to dislike coming out of the game, I'm sure. But a win's a win, and SU gets another one here -- albeit barely.

How about you?