Marist vs Niagara 2/14/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Niagara Purple Eagles will travel to McCann Arena to take on the Marist Red Foxes this Monday night in College Basketball action.

The Niagara Purple Eagles had their 3-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 11-12 on the season after being defeated by the Fairfield Stags, 73-53, this past Saturday. Niagara struggled on both ends of the court against Fairfield and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 32-30 margin. Niagara shot 35.1% from the field & 28.6% from beyond the arc while allowing Fairfield to shoot 45.5% from the field & 54.2% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Purple Eagles was Sam Iorio who had 13 points & 4 rebounds.

On the season, Niagara is averaging 68.2 ppg on 44.5% shooting from the field. The Purple Eagles are averaging 7.3 three-pointers per game on 35.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Niagara has been led by Marcus Hammond (17.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.8 apg), Noah Thomasson (10.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.6 apg), Jordan Cintron (9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 spg), & Sam Iorio (8.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg).

Defensively, Niagara is allowing their opponents to average 66.8 ppg on 41.2% shooting from the field. The Purple Eagles have a rebound margin of -2.6 and a turnover margin of 0.3.

The Marist Red Foxes won their 2^nd straight game and improved to 10-13 on the season after defeating the Canisius Golden Griffins, 71-70, this past Saturday. Marist was outstanding offensively in the 2^nd half against Canisius and was able hold off the Golden Griffins for the victory after taking a 68-62 lead with 4:17 left in regulation. Marist shot 45.3% from the field & 40.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Canisius to shoot 40.6% from the field & 34.8% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Red Foxes was Jao Ituka who had 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, & 1 block.

On the season, Marist is averaging 70.1 ppg on 44.7% shooting from the field. The Red Foxes are averaging 8.0 three-pointers per game on 34.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Marist has been led by Jao Ituka (15.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.5 apg), Ricardo Wright (14.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 apg), Samkelo Cele (9.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg), & Raheim Sullivan (8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg).

Defensively, Marist is allowing their opponents to average 67.9 ppg on 41.6% shooting from the field. The Red Foxes have a rebound margin of 0.3 and a turnover margin of -1.0.

The Purple Eagles are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 games following a straight up loss, however, are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record. The Red Foxes are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 Monday games, however, are just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.

Niagara certainly has some solid talent, led by Marcus Hammond, however, the Purple Eagles have struggled at times putting points up on the board, ranking 252^nd in scoring offense, and haven’t had much success on the road as they come into this game with just a 4-7 road record. Marist has struggled overall this season, however, the Red Foxes have been playing better as of late which includes a recent 25-point victory at Monmouth and as I think their defense, which ranks 148^th in scoring defense & 97^th in defensive FG%, will give Niagara trouble, I’m taking Marist to cover this small home spread. Good Luck!