Merrimack vs Rider Prediction 2/2/25 College Basketball Picks

The Merrimack Warriors and the Rider Broncs meet Sunday in college basketball action from Rider University Alumni Gym. Here’s a Merrimack vs Rider prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Merrimack vs Rider pick. We will examine: 

The Merrimack Warriors’ recent form and player performance

The Rider Broncs’ recent form and player performance 

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Merrimack Warriors

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Rider Broncs

Recent betting trends in games played between Merrimack and Rider

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Merrimack vs Rider game

Merrimack Warriors Betting Preview

The Warriors stumbled out of the gate this year and things were looking grim. Merrimack has since gotten much better though, and they’ve climbed back above the .500 mark. The Warriors lost six of their first seven games, falling to VCU, Princeton, Rutgers, Butler, UMass Lowell and UTSA. A 7-2 stretch came next with losses to Stanford and Saint Mary’s amid wins over Troy, Canisius, Niagara, Boston U, Fairfield, Sacred Heart, and Manhattan. Since then it’s been a 3-2 stretch for Merrimack. The wins over Siena, Saint Peter’s, and Fairfield have been sandwiched between losses to Quinnipiac and Mount St. Mary’s for an 11-10 overall record so far. 

In the Mount St. Mary’s game on Friday, the Warriors posted a 37-22 deficit in the first half. Merrimack improved in the second half on a 36-29 run but ultimately fell 66-58 in the end. Leading the team in scoring was Matt Becht with 13 points, one rebound, and one assist. Both Devon Savage and Adam Clark chipped in with 11 points each and a combined seven steals, while Sean Trumper posted 10 rebounds with four points and four assists. 

Rider Broncs Betting Preview

Over on the Rider side, they’ve got one long stretch of losing this year sandwiched between a couple of runs of decent play. During a 4-2 start the Broncs took out San Diego, Coppin State, Navy, and Bucknell. Losses to Villanova, Delaware, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Stony Brook, Penn, NC State, Manhattan, and Canisius came next, then three wins over Niagara, Mount St. Mary’s, and Marist. Since then it’s been wins over Iona and Quinnipiac in succession, then another win over Saint Peter’s for an 8-13 overall record for the Broncs so far this season. 

Matched up against Saint Peter’s in the Friday game, the Broncs managed a 34-25 advantage in the first half. Rider slipped a bit after the break on a 39-33 stretch but still held on for the win 67-64. TJ Weeks led the team with 17 points with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Zion Cruz added 14 points with four boards and two assists, while Ife West-Ingram came off the bench to provide 11 points with three boards and one assist in 16 minutes of work. 

Why the Merrimack Warriors will win

• Merrimack has won each of its last six day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Rider has lost five of its last six day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Merrimack vs Rider Prediction 

I’ll stick with Merrimack in this one, though I’m probably avoiding it. The Warriors didn’t look good versus Mount St. Mary’s in their last game, shooting just 31.6 percent with a 43-23 rebounding deficit and 51.2 percent shooting allowed on the other side. Merrimack’s only saving grace in that one was the 18 points scored off 19 Mountaineers turnovers. The Warriors haven’t been scoring great lately; they’ve been below 65 points in three of the last four games, despite winning three of those outings. 

As for Rider, they’re not scoring great lately either. Sure, the 67 points on 52.9 percent shooting in their latest win over Saint Peter’s was nice, but that also means that they’ve been below 69 points in seven straight games (a 4-3 stretch). This game could break a lot of different ways, but I’d be surprised if either team can muster a very high total—and we’re probably also in for a few turnovers. When the dust settles though, I like Merrimack to pull it out.