Syracuse vs. Boston College Official TNIAAM Predictions & Poll

The Syracuse Orange (18-11, 7-9) are in must-win mode as the regular season winds down to its final two games. First up are the “rival” (?) Boston College Eagles (16-13, 6-10), who are already out of the NCAA Tournament conversation but are a fringe consideration for the NIT. SU’s already beaten BC this year, 81-63. So hopefully we can just do the same thing again here. Sound good? Good.

You can watch Syracuse vs. Boston College on your local RSN affiliate or ACC Network Extra at 9 p.m. ET, for some unholy reason.

What does (some of) the TNIAAM staff think will happen in this game?

Andrew Godnick

Syracuse 75, BC 68

As we’ve seen this year, no game on the road in the ACC is a guaranteed win. However, the Orange have too much talent not to come away with a win in this one. Look for the Syracuse dribble penetration to be the game changer here, as Tyus Battle and Frank Howard carry them to a win.

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Kevin Wall

Syracuse 75, BC 73

This is the most important game of the season for the Orange and they head on the road to play a team looking to dash their NCAA hopes. We know that Jerome Robinson is going to score so Syracuse needs to limit the other Eagles, especially Ky Bowman and Jordan Chatman. When the Orange has the ball they have to look to drive and not settle for outside shots. BC is not a strong defensive team so Syracuse must take care of the ball and control the tempo. I think the Orange will do enough to escape with a close win.

Bobby Manning

Syracuse 76, BC 72

Thought the Eagles posed a bigger threat than they ultimately would in the first of the two games between these teams. Jerome Robinson’s one of the best guards in college right now, but BC’s size deficiencies seemed to be too much to overcome when the Orange blew BC out at home. The Eagles are 13-3 at home so I doubt this’ll play out exactly like the first time, but Syracuse ate up Robinson and Ky Bowman turnovers and turned them into one of SU’s best offensive nights of the season. The Eagles front court couldn’t muster much of anything against the massive front line the Orange courts. Also worth noting that Syracuse has played well on the road this year, maybe even better than they have at home (not counting the Duke game of course).

James Szuba

Syracuse 67, BC 64

In dire need of wins at this juncture, Syracuse will escape this one with a win. Look for Tyus to get back to scoring over 20 in this one and for Frank and Oshae to bounce back from poor shooting performances in Cameron. The defense limits Jerome Robinson to under 30 (actually impressive) and Syracuse gets a much needed win before Clemson on Saturday.

John Cassillo

Syracuse 70, BC 66

Despite appearances, BC’s actually been a tough out all season, and the blowout loss to Syracuse is a bit of an anomaly. Obviously, the Orange offense can struggle at times, while the Eagles largely rely on the three-ball. Those shots weren’t necessarily falling for them last time around, but that could very well change tonight. If SU lets the Eagles get hot from outside early, things could trend negatively in a hurry. I think Syracuse defends the middle well enough to close this one out late, but it won’t be easy.

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