Syracuse basketball vs. Northeastern odds, prediction and how to watch

Syracuse basketball got totally smoked by Central New York neighbor Colgate this past Tuesday night on the Hill, and now the Orange will look to rebound versus Northeastern this coming Saturday afternoon in another home non-conference clash for the ‘Cuse.

The Orange (1-1) offense was stagnant against the Raiders, and Colgate for the second-straight season lit up the ‘Cuse from the perimeter.

This go-round, the Raiders connected on a ridiculous 19 made shots from 3-point land in putting forth a decisive 80-68 triumph over Syracuse basketball at the JMA Wireless Dome.

So now the Orange is set to host Colonial Athletic Association member Northeastern, and the Huskies (0-3) are searching for their first win in the young 2022-23 season.

To date, Northeastern has fallen on the road to both Boston University and Providence. Most recently, earlier this week, the Huskies lost by one point at home to Harvard.

All-time in their series together, Syracuse basketball holds an 8-0 edge over Northeastern. In their most recent battle, which occurred at the Dome in mid-December of 2020, the Huskies gave the Orange all it could handle, but the ‘Cuse would come away with a closely contested 62-56 victory.

Syracuse basketball vs. Northeastern odds

When I published this column, actionnetwork.com had the Orange as a 16.5-point betting favorite. The over/under had not been set as of Friday evening.

Syracuse basketball vs. Northeastern prediction

I’m the first to acknowledge that the ‘Cuse result versus Colgate had me stunned. Not because the Raiders prevailed. Colgate is a veteran team that moves the ball well, passes with precision, and carved up the Orange zone to obtain a flood of wide-open looks from deep.

So when an opponent goes 19-of-38 from beyond the arc, it’s going to prove tough to win. The Raiders are simply better right now, and there’s nothing more to say about that.

However, what surprised and concerned me is that in its non-conference affair with Colgate, Syracuse basketball was truly awful on defense, and even though its roster is relatively young, it’s also way more athletic than a stanza ago.

The defense was bad. But the offense was also really, really anemic. Sophomore forward Benny Williams and freshman point guard Judah Mintz both had nice performances, but besides them, senior guard Joe Girard III struggled with his shot selection, senior center Jesse Edwards didn’t get enough touches, and the rest of the line-up looked fairly stagnant when the ‘Cuse had the ball on offense.

Hopefully, the Orange can turn things around against Northeastern. Of the 12 scholarship guys for Syracuse basketball, eight of them are underclassmen, so I think we should all expect some growing pains early in the 2022-23 campaign.

But getting toasted by Colgate two years in a row is frustrating. Let’s see if the ‘Cuse can do some positive stuff versus the Huskies, a squad that hasn’t looked all that good at this juncture in 2022-23.

I’ll go with Syracuse basketball to defeat Northeastern.

Injuries, how to watch, live stream, next game
On the injury front, I’m not aware of any significant injuries to note as the Orange eyes its second victory of the 2022-23 stanza. Certainly, we’ll stay on top of this topic throughout the present term.

Syracuse basketball and Northeastern are scheduled to tip off beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, Nov. 19, in Central New York. The ACC Network will provide television coverage.

For Syracuse basketball and Huskies fans who want to stream this game, you can check it out on fuboTV.

After the Orange hosts Northeastern, Syracuse basketball will make a trip to the Big Apple to compete in the 2022 Empire Classic.

On Monday, Nov. 21, starting at 7 pm and airing on ESPN2, the ‘Cuse will face Richmond at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The other match-up that night at this year’s Empire Classic is St. John’s against Temple.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.