Syracuse Orange (9-3) vs Texas Southern Tigers (1-9) GameThread

The Syracuse Orange (9-3) get what's probably the easiest test of the season when they host the Texas Southern Tigers (1-9) in the Carrier Dome today.

Tip is set for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2/ESPN3.com.

The two schools have met once previously, in 1997-98. The Orange won, 85-73, in the Carrier Classic. Syracuse will be looking for its third-consecutive win as they head into ACC play this week.

Will the Orange take care of business? We ask the TNIAAM crew:

James Szuba

Syracuse 85 - Texas Southern 60
Texas Southern hasn't proven they can defend anyone this season -- they've given up at least 80 points in six of their 10 games. They also only shoot 43 percent from the field and turn the ball over 15 times per game. I expect Syracuse to control the game from the defensive end of the court with the outcome being similar to the Orange's last two games. This is Syracuse's worst opponent of the year so I expect Syracuse to win by 25.

Kevin Wall

Syracuse 79 - Texas Southern 58
The Orange will most likely play a similar rotation as they did against Cornell. Texas Southern should not pose much of a problem on the boards so expect Syracuse to be able to control the tempo and cruise to an easy win.

Michael Burke

Syracuse 82 - Texas Southern 56
Record-wise, Texas Southern is one of the worst teams in college basketball. The Tigers are especially weak on the defensive end, and they're allowing opponents to shoot 38.9% from beyond the arc. So in their last non-conference test, look for the Orange to light it up from deep en route to an easy win.

Sean Keeley

Syracuse 84 - Texas Southern 60
By all accounts, Syracuse should win this game with ease and anything less than, say, a 15-point win, is disconcerting. TSU doesn't have a good defense and opponents can shoot well against them, so there's no reason SU can't put together a solid effort today.

Leave your predictions as well as your pre-, in- and post-game comments below. G'ORANGE!