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Beat writers unanimously predict Syracuse victory against NC State

Beat writers unanimously predict Syracuse victory against NC State

After beating Wake Forest on Saturday night, Syracuse faces off against NC State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Max Freund | Staff Photographer

Syracuse (14-9, 7-5 Atlantic Coast) finishes a three-game homestand on Tuesday with a matchup against North Carolina State (15-8, 6-6) at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. SU recently ended a two-game skid, beating Wake Forest in the final seconds on Feb. 8.

Here’s what our beat writers predict for Tuesday’s tilt:

Nick Alvarez (16-7)
Ahead of the Pack
Syracuse 84, NC State 73

A weird season got weirder on Saturday. But expect the status quo to be enforced here. Syracuse is probably a top-four ACC team, and it’s at home after a momentum-building win. North Carolina State should create a close second-half, but the zone should snuff out another offense lacking a main threat. C.J. Bryce might cause issues, but SU’s zone hasn’t broken yet. And eventually SU needs to shoot out of its 3-point slump. Give me the Orange.

Michael McCleary (15-8)
The team that cried wolf
Syracuse 81, NC State 79

Once upon a time, the Wolfpack were in a similar position the Orange are in this game: the favorite. Syracuse has come a long way since the beginning of the season, and NC State has seemingly gone in the opposite direction. But I have a feeling Syracuse will make fans with eyes on the NCAA Tournament sweat on multiple occasions down the stretch. This is a candidate for one of the closer games SU has left, one in which the better Syracuse team will win.

Josh Schafer (16-7)
Another winning streak?
Syracuse 78 North Carolina State 72

This is a prediction predicated on no foul-outs. Just kidding, sort of. Syracuse learned last game that it needs to play smarter and Tuesday will be the first test of that. On paper, NC State is a good matchup for Syracuse, particularly with SU at home. The Wolfpack hasn’t lit up the scoreboard this year and scores the majority of its points inside the 3-point arc. NC State lacks a dominant big-man presence which bodes well for the Orange. Especially if the Orange shoots the 3-ball well, it can create a difference that NC State won’t be able to keep up with.