Despite the NCAA Tournament bid already decided with the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights earning that right on Saturday, they will clash with the Merrimack Warriors for the Northeast Conference Tournament Championship on Tuesday. The Knights (19-14, 10-6 Northeast) earned the league's automatic bid with a 70-50 win over St. Francis (Pa.), in the semifinals. The Warriors (17-16, 12-4), the league's top seed, are still ineligible for the NCAA and NIT Tournaments because of the reclassification process. Merrimack, which is transitioning from Division II to Division I, downed Sacred Heart 71-60 in the semifinals.
The game from Hammel Court in North Andover, Mass., will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Fairleigh Dickinson is averaging 78.2 points per game, while Merrimack averages 62.5. The Warriors are 4-point favorites in the latest Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Merrimack odds, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 138. Before locking in any Merrimack vs. Fairleigh Dickinson picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has zeroed in FDU vs. Merrimack and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Merrimack vs. FDU:
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Merrimack spread: Merrimack -4
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Merrimack over/under: 138 points
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Merrimack money line: Fairleigh Dickinson +160, Merrimack -184
- FDU: The Knights are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 road games following three or more consecutive home games
- MERR: The Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Merrimack picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Fairleigh Dickinson can cover
Sophomore forward Ansley Almonor has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last three games, including a 15-point and seven-rebound performance against St. Francis (Pa.), on Saturday. He scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in the quarterfinals against St. Francis Brooklyn. In two games against Merrimack this season, Almonor is averaging 17.5 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists, and is connecting on 55% of his field goals, including 60% from 3-point range, and 83.3% of his free throws. For the year, he averages 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
Also helping lead the Knights is junior guard Joe Munden. In 26 games, including 16 starts, he is averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. He has reached double-figure scoring in 17 games, including one double-double. He scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 87-82 win over St. Francis, Pa., on Jan. 26.
Why Merrimack can cover
The Warriors are led by senior forward Jordan Minor, who is coming off a double-double in Saturday's semifinal victory over Sacred Heart. In that game, Minor poured in 18 points, while grabbing 12 rebounds, blocking six shots and making four steals. He has registered 15 double-doubles on the year, including two against Fairleigh Dickinson. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds in their December meeting, and 15 points and 11 boards against the Knights in January. For the year, he is averaging 17.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals.
Senior forward Ziggy Reid has been explosive in the conference tournament so far. He poured in 33 points and grabbed four rebounds in a 91-76 quarterfinal win over Long Island, and scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds in the semifinals vs. Sacred Heart. In two games against the Knights, he has averaged 15 points, four rebounds and 1.5 steals. For the season, he averages 13.9 points, four rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals.
How to make Merrimack vs. FDU picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 141 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins FDU vs. Merrimack? And which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
