Merrimack vs Stanford Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/17/24

The Merrimack Warriors are visiting the Stanford Cardinal on Tuesday, December 17th at the Maples Pavilion. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Merrimack Warriors vs Stanford Cardinal Prediction.

Stanford Cardinal Preview

The Stanford Cardinal has an 8-2 record this season and are coming off an 89-81 win over California. The Cardinal are 7-3 against the spread, and 4-6 in over/under while having a 6-1 home record this season. 

Offensively, Stanford is averaging 80.2 points per game, which ranks 88th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 69.5 points per game (137th). The Cardinal shoot 45% from the field (195th) and 32.7% from beyond the arc (230th). The Cardinal shoot 75.2% from the free-throw line (72nd) and are grabbing 36.6 rebounds per game (180th).

Maxime Raynaud leads Stanford in scoring with an average of 22.1 points and a team-high 11.3 rebounds, while Jaylen Blakes adds 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and a team-high 5.5 assists. Stanford will play against Oregon and Clemson following this one.

Merrimack Warriors Preview

The Merrimack Warriors have a 5-6 record this season and are coming off a 64-61 win over Boston University. The Warriors are 6-5 against the spread, and 5-6 in over/under while having a 3-4 road record.

Offensively, Merrimack is averaging just 62.7 points per game, which ranks 348th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 66.7 points per game (81st). The Warriors shoot 40.9% from the field (331st) and 30.3% from beyond the arc (309th). The Warriors shoot 75.5% from the free-throw line (65th) and are grabbing 29.7 rebounds per game (356th).

Adam Clark leads Merrimack in scoring this season, with an average of 19.7 points, 3.8 rebounds a team-high 5.2 assists, while Devon Savage adds 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. Merrimack will take on Saint Mary’s, Fairfield, Sacred Heart, Manhattan, and Quinnipiac after this game.

Why the Stanford Cardinal will win

• Merrimack has lost each of its last nine road night games against non-conference opponents.
• Stanford has won 37 of its last 41 games against non-conference opponents at Maples Pavilion.
• Stanford has won the first half in each of its last 13 games against non-conference opponents at Maples Pavilion.

Why the Merrimack Warriors will win

• Merrimack has won each of its last four games.
• Merrimack has won the first half in three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Merrimack Warriors vs Stanford Cardinal Prediction

In this Merrimack Warriors vs Stanford Cardinal Prediction, Stanford is coming as -14 home favorites. Stanford is better offensively, scoring 17.5 points more than Merrimack, while Merrimack is better defensively, allowing 1.8 points less. The Cardinal are winning by an average of 10.7 points per game, while the Warriors are losing by an average of 4 points. Stanford is also almost perfect at home, so I expect them to take care of business against an inferior Merrimack team. Take the Stanford Cardinal and lay the points at home.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Stanford Cardinal -14