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The Hartford Hawks go for the season sweep when they take on the Fairfield Stags in non-conference action on Monday in Hartford, Conn. The teams met at Fairfield on Wednesday with Hartford (2-2) overcoming a two-point halftime deficit to post a 66-61 triumph. The Hawks have won two in a row after beating Central Connecticut 80-65 on Friday. The Stags (0-3), who have lost four straight dating back to last season, are coming off a 72-69 overtime loss at Stony Brook on Friday.

Tip-off from Chase Family Arena at Reich Family Pavilion is set for 4 p.m. ET. Hartford leads the all-time series 5-4, including a 3-1 edge in games played at home. The Hawks are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Fairfield vs. Hartford odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 130.5. Before making any Hartford vs. Fairfield picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection 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 almost $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It's also off to a fast start in the 2020-21 season, going 4-1 on its top-rated picks and returning over $300. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Hartford vs. Fairfield. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Fairfield vs. Hartford:

  • Fairfield vs. Hartford spread: Hartford -3.5
  • Fairfield vs. Hartford over-under: 130.5 points
  • Fairfield vs. Hartford money line: Fairfield +120, Hartford -145
  • FAIR: Is hitting 66 percent of its free throws compared to 61 percent for its opponents
  • HART: Sophomore guard Moses Flowers leads the team in steals with 11

Why Hartford can cover

After opening the season with losses to NCAA Division I heavyweights Connecticut and No. 12 Villanova, the Hawks have rebounded with back-to-back wins. Leading the offense is Flowers, who scored 24 points against UConn and 20 vs. Fairfield. Flowers is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. He is hitting 70.6 percent of his free throws and is connecting on 32 percent of his 3-pointers. Last year, Flowers was named to the America East All-Rookie Team, appearing in all 34 games with 33 starts.

Also powering the Hawks is senior guard Austin Williams, who is averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, including a 12-point, seven-rebound performance against the Stags last week. Williams is hitting 64.3 percent of his field goals, including 50 percent from 3-point range. He sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. In his first two seasons, he made appearances in 60 games for Marist College, where he averaged 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds at the school.

Why Fairfield can cover

After getting beat by 41 points in the season opener at Providence, the Stags have lost two games by a combined eight points, including one that went to overtime. Senior guard Jesus Cruz leads Fairfield in scoring, averaging 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Last week against Hartford, Cruz connected for 10 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds. Last year, he split time between starting and coming off the bench. When he started, he averaged 13.2 points per game, while averaging 9.1 points in a reserve role.

Also leading the Stags offense is senior Taj Benning, who is averaging 11 points per game. He has been sharp at the free throw line, hitting 83.3 percent of his shots from the stripe. He was one of four players in double figures against Hartford last week, hitting for 13 points. Last year, Benning averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. He had a season-best 19 points against Rider on Jan. 31.

How to make Hartford vs. Fairfield picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total. In fact, it says Fairfield's Jesus Cruz will be held to 1.5 points under his average, while Hartford's Moses Flowers will score nearly two fewer points than his average. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 70 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Fairfield vs. Hartford? And which side of the spread cashes in over 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hartford vs. Fairfield spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $2,600 on its top-rated college basketball spread picks over the past four-plus years, and find out.