Halftime Report

LIU is giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. They have jumped out to a quick 41-34 lead against Merrimack.

LIU came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Merrimack Warriors @ LIU Sharks

Current Records: Merrimack 12-10, LIU 5-16

How To Watch

What to Know

LIU will be in front of their home fans on Thursday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Merrimack Warriors will face off in a Northeast battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Steinberg Wellness Center. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

LIU posted their closest win since January 4th on Saturday. They skirted past the Red Flash 70-67. Having forecasted a close victory for LIU, the oddsmakers were right on the money.

Meanwhile, Merrimack had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Saturday. They had just enough and edged the Blue Devils out 71-68. Winning is a bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 21.3% better than the opposition, as Merrimack's was.

The Sharks' win bumped their record up to 5-16. As for the Warriors, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matches, which provided a massive bump to their 12-10 record this season.

LIU lost to the Warriors at home by a decisive 91-76 margin in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Will LIU have more luck at home instead of on the road?

Odds

Merrimack is a big 11-point favorite against LIU, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 11-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 134.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Merrimack has won 6 out of their last 9 games against LIU.

  • Mar 01, 2023 - Merrimack 91 vs. LIU 76
  • Feb 25, 2023 - Merrimack 80 vs. LIU 59
  • Feb 02, 2023 - Merrimack 76 vs. LIU 59
  • Feb 24, 2022 - LIU 85 vs. Merrimack 74
  • Dec 31, 2021 - Merrimack 82 vs. LIU 77
  • Jan 28, 2021 - LIU 78 vs. Merrimack 68
  • Jan 27, 2021 - Merrimack 68 vs. LIU 63
  • Feb 08, 2020 - LIU 67 vs. Merrimack 64
  • Feb 01, 2020 - Merrimack 70 vs. LIU 59