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Colgate vs Bucknell 3/3/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

Bucknell Bison (9-22) vs. Colgate Raiders (20-11)
March 3, 2022 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Colgate Raiders -15.5 / Bucknell Bison+15.5 ; Over/Under: 152.5
(Get latest betting odds)

The 9-seed Bucknell Bison will travel to Cotterell Court to take on the top-seed Colgate Raiders this Thursday night in the Quarterfinals of the Patriot League Championship.

The 9-seed Bucknell Bison improved to 9-22 on the season after defeating the Lafayette Leopards, 82-81 (OT), this past Tuesday in the 1st round of the Patriot League Championship. Bucknell was outstanding offensively against Lafayette and was able to secure the victory after Andrew Funk hit a game-winning jumper for the Bison with :16 seconds left in OT. Bucknell shot 58.2% from the field & 52.9% from beyond the arc while allowing Lafayette to shoot 45.3% from the field & 36.8% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Bison was Andrew Funk who had 21 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, & 1 steal.

On the season, Bucknell is averaging 71.3 ppg on 45.7% shooting from the field. The Bison are averaging 7.8 three-pointers per game on 37.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Bucknell has been led by Andrew Funk (17.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg), Xander Rice (12.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg), Andre Screen (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.0 bpg), & Jake van der Heijden (6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.3 apg).

Defensively, Bucknell is allowing their opponents to average 78.9 ppg on 46.0% shooting from the field. The Bison have a rebound margin of -3.6 and a turnover margin of -3.9.

The Colgate Raiders finished their regular season with an overall record of 20-11 and earned the top-seed in the Patriot League Championship after finishing conference play with a 16-2 record. Colgate has been led by their explosive offense which ranks 69th in scoring offense, 46th in FG%, & 5th in 3P-FG% and have been about average on the defensive end, ranking 128th in scoring defense & 161st in defensive FG%. Colgate went just 4-9 in their non-conference schedule, however, did pick up a signature win in their 100-85 victory at Syracuse. Colgate suffered losses at Lehigh & Boston University early in conference play, however, come into the conference tournament with a bunch of momentum, winning their last 11 games.

On the season, Colgate is averaging 75.3 ppg on 46.8% shooting from the field. The Raiders are averaging 9.9 three-pointers per game on 39.3% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Colgate has been led by Nelly Cummings (14.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.0 spg), Tucker Richardson (12.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg), Jack Ferguson (11.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg), Ryan Moffatt (10.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg), & Keegan Records (10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.5 apg).

Defensively, Colgate is allowing their opponents to average 67.6 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Raiders have a rebound margin of 2.8 and a turnover margin of -0.5.

The Bison are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 overall games & 2-2 ATS in their last 4 road games. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games & 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Colgate was able to defeat Bucknell in both of their regular season matchups this season as the Raiders defeated the Bison by a 75-56 margin on the road in mid-January while winning by a 83-69 margin at home in early February.

Bucknell has been playing better over the past couple of weeks, however, this is still a Bison defense that ranks just 342nd in scoring defense & 307th in defensive FG% and is going to have it’s hands full with a Colgate offense that can put up points in a hurry. Bucknell was able to keep this game within it’s current line in their last matchup, however, as I think the Raiders will be able to put up 90+ in this one, I think the defense does more than enough for the Raiders to cover this large home spread. Good Luck!

Brett Nault's Free Pick: Colgate Raiders -15.5

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Brett Nault

Brett has been involved with sports his entire life, whether playing them or betting on them, and loves using his education in data analytics to break down all matchups to get you a competitive edge. Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05

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