Syracuse vs. Georgetown: TNIAAM predictions & poll

The TNIAAM crew went perfect again in the Syracuse Orange’s last game, but this Saturday’s game presents a slightly bigger challenge with the Georgetown Hoyas coming to the Carrier Dome. The Orange (6-2) and the Hoyas (7-1) reconvene for another showdown of the long-time rivals... though it could be the last one for awhile with the current four-game contract officially done after this game.

Last year’s battle between these two squads lived up to the hype, as Tyus Battle led the Orange to the overtime win with 29 points. Will Battle and Syracuse be able to do it again? Let’s see what TNIAAM has to say.

Dylan Finer

Syracuse 72, Georgetown 63

The Orange were given a beating inside by Georgetown center Jessie Govan last year to the tune of 21 points and 8 boards. Govan is back and he is going to score, but the Hoyas don’t have other ways to beat Syracuse’s zone. Georgetown has proven to be turnover-prone this season with 14.9 per game—that number also comes against weaker competition. Orange roll and extend its winning streak to five games.

Andrew Godnick

Syracuse 78, Georgetown 72

If the Orange want to make it a five-game winning streak, they’ll need to be able to get some help from beyond the arc—and they will. Battle won’t have another two-point outing, and Oshae Brissett’s tenacity on the offensive glass should give the Orange some easy buckets inside. Frank Howard is the key in this game, as Syracuse needs him to start scoring the ball like he did last year. Govan is going to get his, but Battle will make the big shots when it matters most to give the Orange another win in this rivalry.

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Wall

Syracuse 75, Georgetown 71

Jesse Govan could be a problem for the Orange, but Syracuse has survived one player having a strong game before and if they can control the perimeter. Last year Tyus Battle took over down the stretch and I can see him doing the same thing on Saturday. This game will have a lot of intensity so hopefully we see the Syracuse team we saw in Columbus.

James Szuba

Syracuse 71, Georgetown 68

I think this game is going to be closer than most people think. Jessie Govan is a legitimate problem down low and Syracuse could very well burn through 10 fouls at the center position trying to contain him and keep him off the glass. The Hoyas have a few guys who can shoot it from outside, but I think the 2-3 zone does a solid enough job to keep the Hoyas at bay. The Orange have yet to have everyone firing on all cylinders on the offensive end, but Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett should do the heavy lifting there with Elijah Hughes knocking down some timely threes. If Frank Howard is close to 100% and plays the way we know he’s capable of, that would be a huge lift for Syracuse as the D.C. native gears up for his last game against his hometown team.

John Cassillo

Syracuse 77, Georgetown 71

Govan is concerning because he’s an offensive big man who has some range, and our centers aren’t necessarily adept at avoiding fouls. If he gets Paschal Chukwu and/or Bourama Sidibe into foul trouble early, it could be a long day for the Orange. The saving grace here, however, is that they don’t necessarily have the shooting ability from outside to really extend the zone. So if we can get some scoring from Battle, Brissett and someone else (Hughes/Howard), SU should be alright in this one.