Syracuse vs. Georgetown Official TNIAAM Predictions & Poll

It’s been a week since our last game. And what better way to get back to it than with a Syracuse Orange (8-1) vs. Georgetown Hoyas (8-0) matchup? No, Georgetown’s not really as good as their record. They did this on purpose (and you can’t blame them for it at all, especially since it’s what we should always do in football).

You can watch Syracuse vs. Georgetown at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS or CBS’s live streaming service.

So what does the TNIAAM staff think will happen in this game?

Kevin Wall

Syracuse 74, Georgetown 68

I expect the Syracuse fans in attendance will make this more of a neutral site game, but this is an opportunity for the Orange to get a non-conference road win. Jesse Govan can do some damage on the interior, but Syracuse can survive a big game from him if they don't let the Hoyas get open looks from 3. I think Frank Howard will be more effective running the offense and hopefully the week off has given Bourama Sidibe time to heal as Syracuse will need him against Govan.

Ben Sigel

Syracuse 72, Georgetown 68

Although I don’t think Georgetown is very good this year, it’s a classic rivalry game that will be close. Syracuse will need Oshae Brissett to show up, as well as get contributions from Moyer, Dolezaj, Sidibe and Chukwu. Frank Howard will need to take care of the ball and score at the rate he’s capable of. If all that happens, SU should be improving to 9-1 on the season.

Andrew Godnick

Syracuse 64, Georgetown 60

The Orange need to continue the to bolster their resume, and a road win against Georgetown will do just that. Look for the guards to be active from the start, and hopefully a steady long range stroke Oshae Brissett begins. If Bourama Sidibe is healthy, the Orange should be able to utilize their size to pull this one out.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Manning

Syracuse 73, Georgetown 69

The Hoyas’ schedule to this point has been absolute garbage, teams ranking toward the 300s section of KenPom from conferences of the likes of the AEC, MEAC and A-Sun. Jessie Govan worries me as a singular force quite heavily, with his explosive scoring coming from a massive 6'10", 270-pound frame inside and out (63% FG, 58% 3-pt). He boasts a 138 offensive rating and between him and Marcus Derrickson (20.3 rebounds per game combined) could dig into the rebounding advantage that has carried Syracuse to date.

The Orange have played better competition, feature a sizable front line and still have the most talented scorer on the floor but on the road the thin margin is going to get even slimmer. This will be a challenge for Syracuse, particularly challenging the team’s interior and its depth but once again I believe they’ll emerge behind a stingy defensive effort.

James Szuba

Syracuse 71, Georgetown 68

Syracuse will need to do a good job of getting out to three point shooters and I suspect Govan will get things going inside. But ultimately the Syracuse backcourt will prevail as Battle gives out another 20-point performance and Frank has a solid homecoming game. Syracuse by one possession in a grind it out affair.

John Cassillo

Syracuse 68, Georgetown 62

It’s tough to get a read on Georgetown’s shooting ability since they’ve only faced terrible teams. But no matter the opponent, Jessie Govan appears to be a pretty capable option in the middle, which could be an interesting test for SU’s big men. If the Orange contain Govan, I don’t think the Hoyas can do enough from three to win. Should SU let Govan run wild, I’m going to get pretty nervous about what that likely (also) opens up outside. Let’s just win, please.

Now it’s your turn...