Maine vs Merrimack 12/21/21 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Merrimack Warriors will travel to the Cross Insurance Center to take on the Maine Black Bears this Tuesday night in College Basketball action.

The Merrimack Warriors lost their 5^th straight game and dropped to 4-8 on the season after being defeated by the Indiana Hoosiers, 81-49, on December 12^th. Merrimack trailed by just a 36-30 margin at halftime, however, the Warriors were dominated by Indiana on both ends of the court in the 2^nd half and could not fight back after the Hoosiers took a 57-36 lead with 12:15 left in regulation. Merrimack shot 29.6% from the field & 37.9% from beyond the arc while allowing Indiana to shoot 51.9% from the field & 31.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Warriors was Jordan Minor who had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, & 2 steals.

On the season, Merrimack is averaging 56.2 ppg on 37.5% shooting from the field. The Warriors are averaging 6.8 three-pointers per game on 30.9% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Merrimack has been led by Jordan Minor (14.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.8 spg, 2.1 bpg), Malik Edmead (8.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.5 spg), Mikey Watkins (8.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.1 spg), & Ziggy Reid (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.6 spg).

Defensively, Merrimack is allowing their opponents to average 63.3 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Warriors have a rebound margin of -15.4 and are averaging 10.2 spg.

The Maine Black Bears snapped their 4-game losing streak and improved to 3-6 on the season after defeating by New England Noreasters, 86-50, this past Saturday. Maine was solid on both ends of the court against New England and had no trouble picking up the victory after going into halftime with a 42-27 lead. Maine shot 52.3% from the field & 36.7% from beyond the arc while holding New England to shoot 35.4% from the field & 20.0% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Black Bears was Vukasin Masic who had a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, & 4 rebounds.

On the season, Maine is averaging 59.2 ppg on 38.8% shooting from the field. The Black Bears are averaging 5.1 three-pointers per game on 23.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Maine has been led by Vukasin Masic (9.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.7 apg), LeChaun DuHart (7.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 spg), Chris Efretuei (5.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), & Maks Klanjseck (5.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg).

Defensively, Maine is allowing their opponents to average 66.9 ppg on 38.8% shooting from the field. The Black Bears have a rebound margin of -7.7 and a turnover margin of 1.1.

The Warriors are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400 & 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record. The Black Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400 and 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

Merrimack is just 4-8 on the season, however, the Warriors have played a tough schedule and are no doubt the better team in this one. Maine is one of the worst offensive teams in the country as they come into this game ranked just 342^nd in scoring offense, 333^rd in FG%, & 350^th in 3P-FG% and have also really struggled on the boards as they currently rank just 312^th in rebound margin. Maine is one of the worst teams in all of College Basketball and as I expect the Black Bears to really struggle offensively in this one, my play is take Merrimack to cover and the Under! Good Luck!