Syracuse fans are feeling good after the Orange knocked off UConn at Madison Square Garden to improve to 7-1 on the season. Now the Orange have a little trip back to the Carrier Dome for one game before hitting the road to take on another former Big East foe in Georgetown. Before the Orange and Hoyas renew their rivalry, Syracuse has to play another team that they play every year, Colgate. Here is what you need to know before the Orange and Raiders tip off on Saturday.
Back to the Streaming: After back to back games on national tv, Syracuse will again have their game be on the ACC Network Extra, which can be streamed online on WatchESPN or through the ESPN app. Tip-off is set for 2 pm at the Carrier Dome. The Orange, as we all know, enter this contest 7-1 on the season and the Raiders are trending in the opposite direction, sitting at 3-5.
52nd Time is the Charm?: Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the common phrase but Colgate must be hoping that it somehow proves true. The two teams have met 169 times in their history and the Orange have won 51 in a row. Yes. 51. The Orange haven’t lost to Colgate since 1962. The teams have played at least once in every season since 1944, with the rivalry dating all the way back to 1902. It may have more history than any other Syracuse basketball rivalry, but, correct me if I am wrong, it doesn’t have quite the same pull to it as some of Syracuse’s more modern rivals.
What’s at Stake:¬†In some ways everything but in most ways nothing. Losing to Colgate would be absolutely devastating to the Orange, who have done a great job navigating the non-conference schedule up to this point. A win does virtually nothing to Syracuse’s potential tournament resume but a loss could be seen as a big red flag come March. And of course, Syracuse wants to push their win streak to 52 because why not?
What the “Experts” Are Saying: Shockingly (insert sarcasm font), there is no Vegas line for this game as of yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find any indication of how the game is going to go. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, which is an advanced metric used to predict games using much more data and information than I know or understand, gives the Orange an 87.1% chance to win the game.
