The second-seeded Bryant University Bulldogs will be at full strength when they square off with the No. 4 seed Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers on Tuesday in the 2021 NEC Tournament Championship Game at Smithfield, R.I. The Bulldogs (15-5), who are seeking their first trip to the NCAA Tournament, had only six scholarship players available for their semifinal-round rout of Sacred Heart on Saturday due to COVID-19 concerns. Mount St. Mary's (11-10) can secure its sixth NEC championship after avenging a pair of regular-season losses to No. 1 Wagner during the regular season with a 66-60 win in the semifinals.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Chace Athletic Center. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Bulldogs as 6.5-point favorites in the latest Bryant vs. Mount St. Mary's odds, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 133.5. Before making any Mount St. Mary's vs. Bryant picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned over $400 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bryant vs. Mount St. Mary's in the NEC Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Mount St. Mary's vs. Bryant:
- Bryant vs. Mount St. Mary's: Bryant -6.5
- Bryant vs. Mount St. Mary's over-under: 133.5 points
- Bryant vs. Mount St. Mary's money line: Bryant -270; Mount St. Mary's +220
- BRY: The Bulldogs are among 10 teams nationally who are unbeaten at home
- MSM: The Mountaineers have won two of their five NEC titles as a No. 4 seed
Why Bryant can cover
The Bulldogs feature the No. 1 offense in conference play at 79.9 points per game (Mount St. Mary's is last at 64.2) and get back their Nos. 2 and 3 leading scorers for the championship matchup. Sophomore guard Michael Green III, second on the team to Peter Kiss in scoring with an average of 16.7 points, ranks sixth in the NEC in assists (3.9). He hit double figures in 18 of 19 games and scored at least 20 points on six occasions.
Chris Childs slumped offensively down the stretch and, like Green, was sidelined for the NEC semifinals, but he is one of the team's top perimeter shooters. Bryant's third-leading scorer (14.1), he ranked 18th nationally from behind the arc with an average of 3.0 3-pointers made per game and knocked down at least four in six games. Guard Charles Pride had his team-high fifth double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's win.
Why Mount St. Mary's can cover
The Mountaineers counter Bryant's offense with a defense that ranks 16th nationally with 62.0 points allowed and is No. 12 in defensive efficiency, permitting 89.3 points per 100 possessions. Also the conference leader in field goal percentage defense, they held regular-season champion Wagner to 36.6 percent shooting in the semifinals. Mount St. Mary's limited NEC Player of the Year Alex Morales to 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting.
Guard Damian Chong Qui became the primary offensive option following the December transfer of Jalen Gibbs and tops the team in scoring (14.9) and assists (5.5). The 5-foot-8 guard has scored at least 14 points in seven of his last nine games and grabbed at least six rebounds in four of the past 10 contests. Forward Nana Opoku, the No. 2 scorer (9.9), has scored in double figures in seven straight, averaging 12.6 points in that span.
How to make Mount St. Mary's vs. Bryant picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 139 points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Mount St. Mary's vs. Bryant? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
