Iona vs. Niagara - 2/29/20 College Basketball Pick, Odds, and Prediction
Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Iona Gaels (11-13) at Niagara Purple Eagles (10-18)
College Basketball: Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 1:00 pm (Gallagher Center)
The Line: Niagara Purple Eagles +2 -- Over/Under: 139 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Iona Gaels (11-13, 9-8 CONF) and the Niagara Purple Eagles (10-18, 8-9 CONF) will meet on Saturday, February 29th for a MAAC conference matchup at the Gallagher Center in Niagara Falls, NY. The game will be played at 1:00 PM eastern time.
Iona is coming off an 86-65 road win over Canisius in their last game. Iona has now won back-to-back games and four of their last five games overall. Iona is heating up at the right time, with the conference tournament right around the corner. Niagara is coming off a 63-54 home win over Saint Peter’s in their last game. Niagara snapped a two-game losing streak with that win, and they have won three of their last five overall.
Iona scores 70.1 points per game on 44.1 percent field goal shooting this season. Iona’s leading scorer is G E.J. Crawford, who scores 18.5 points per game. The leading rebounder for Iona is F Tajuan Agee, who earns 7.3 rebounds per game. Iona allows 70.9 points per game to the opposition, therefore they have a -.8 scoring differential so far this season. Iona also earns 33.3 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 7.1 steals per game as a team.
Niagara scores 65.3 points per game on 42.7 percent field goal shooting this season. Niagara’s leading scorer and rebounder is G Marcus Hammond, who scores 14.1 points per game and earns 4.5 rebounds per game. Niagara allows 72.4 points per game to the opposition, therefore they have a -7.1 scoring differential so far this season. Niagara also earns 27.4 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 7.1 steals per game as a team.
Iona is 8-14-2 against the spread this season and 5-4-1 against the spread in their last ten games. Iona is also 5-6 against the spread on the road so far this season. Niagara is 16-12 against the spread this season and 6-4 against the spread in their last ten games. Niagara is also 8-3 against the spread at home so far this season.
I will take the road favorite in Iona in this game, as the Gaels of Iona have been red hot as of late. Their only loss in their last five games was a one-point loss at Siena, the current leader in the MAAC standings. Iona -2 for me in this game.
Ronald’s Pick Iona -2
AUTHOR: Ronald Romanelli
Mitch's Take...
