Down, but not out. That’s the state of the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team right now.
Entering its matchup against the Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1), the Orange (3-3) will be the clear underdogs on the road. Syracuse will look to avoid three straight losses on the season before it kicks off ACC play against Notre Dame on Saturday, while Illinois is coming off a 33-point victory against Lindenwood. An SU upset would easily be their biggest resume booster in out-of-conference play.
With all of that in mind, here are our predictions against Illinois:
Dom
Illinois 80, Syracuse 63
It’s a stark outlook, but after a tough team performance against Bryant, it’s hard to see much upside against Illinois.