Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart NEC Tournament Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, March 4, 2023

The No. 1 seed Merrimack Warriors (16-16, 12-4 NEC) are 4.5-point favorites in the NEC Tournament when they take on the No. 4 seed Sacred Heart Pioneers (16-16, 8-8 NEC) on Saturday at Hammel Court, starting at 6:00 PM on SNY. Both teams hope to move one step closer to an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The over/under is 132.5 in the matchup.

Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart Odds

• Merrimack odds to win: -200
• Sacred Heart odds to win: +167
• Spread: Merrimack (-4.5)
• Total: 132.5

Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023
• Time: 6:00 PM ET
• TV: SNY
• Where: North Andover, Massachusetts
• Venue: Hammel Court

Who Will Win Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart?

Merrimack and Sacred Heart Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

Merrimack has a 4-3 record against the spread this season when favored by 4.5 points or more.

Sacred Heart is 4-5 against the spread when an underdog by 4.5 points or more this year.

The two teams average a combined 0.7 more points per game, 133.2, than this matchup’s total of 132.5 points.

Opponents of these two teams have averaged a combined 133.6 points per game, 1.1 more than the over/under in this matchup.

The average point total in Merrimack’s games this year is eight fewer points than the over/under of 132.5 in this matchup.

The average point total for the Pioneers this season is 9.8 points higher than this game’s over/under.

So far this season, the Warriors have put together a 14-16-0 record against the spread.

The Pioneers are 14-17-0 ATS this year.

Merrimack Stats & Insights

Merrimack averages 62.2 points per game (352nd in college basketball) while giving up 62.3 per contest (21st in college basketball). It has a -3 scoring differential overall.

Merrimack loses the rebound battle by 8.6 boards on average. it collects 26 rebounds per game, which ranks 363rd in college basketball, while its opponents grab 34.6 per contest.

The Warriors knock down 7.5 three-pointers per game (175th in college basketball) while shooting 32.7% from deep (262nd in college basketball). They are making 1.7 more threes per contest than their opponents, who drain 5.8 per game while shooting 31.6%.

Merrimack ranks 354th in college basketball with 83.8 points scored per 100 possessions, and 23rd in college basketball defensively with 83.9 points conceded per 100 possessions.

At home, the Warriors are averaging 3.5 more points per game (64.4) than they are in away games (60.9).

Sacred Heart Stats & Insights

Sacred Heart has a -8 scoring differential, putting up 71 points per game (192nd in college basketball) and giving up 71.3 (217th in college basketball).

Sacred Heart grabs 31.6 rebounds per game (183rd in college basketball) while allowing 34.1 per contest to opponents. It is outrebounded by 2.5 boards per game.

Sacred Heart connects on 7 three-pointers per game (222nd in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 7.4. It shoots 31.5% from deep, and its opponents shoot 33.6%.

Sacred Heart averages 88.9 points per 100 possessions on offense (291st in college basketball), and concedes 89.2 points per 100 possessions (114th in college basketball).

At home the Pioneers are scoring 71.9 points per game, 1.7 more than they are averaging on the road (70.2).

Merrimack Key Players to Watch

The scoring and rebounding leader for the Warriors is Jordan Minor, who averages 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Javon Bennett leads Merrimack in assists, averaging 3.3 per game while also scoring 9.3 points per contest.

Devon Savage leads the Warriors in three-point shooting, knocking down an average of 1.8 shots per game from beyond the arc.

The Merrimack steals leader is Bennett, who averages 2.9 takeaways per game, while its blocks leader is Minor, who compiles 2.4 rejections per contest.

Sacred Heart Key Players to Watch

Nico Galette is the top scorer for the Pioneers with 15.4 points per game. He also tacks on 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game to his statistics.

Bryce Johnson puts up a stat line of 8.1 rebounds, 10 points and 1.9 assists per game for Sacred Heart to take the top rebound spot on the team. Mike Sixsmith holds the top spot for assists with 2.7 per game, adding 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per outing.

Joey Reilly is dependable from three-point range and leads the Pioneers with 1.9 made threes per game.

Sacred Heart’s leader in steals and blocks is Galette with 1.7 steals and one block per game.

Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  Merrimack (-4.5)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (132.5)
  

• Prediction:
  Merrimack 69, Sacred Heart 64

How to Bet on Merrimack vs. Sacred Heart

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