Iona vs Marist Prediction 1/4/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Iona Gaels and the Marist Red Foxes meet Sunday in college basketball action from McCann Arena. Here’s an Iona vs Marist prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Iona vs Marist pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Iona Gaels Betting Preview

The Gaels managed to win their first four games this year, but then fell to Akron, Green Bay and Quinnipiac during a 2-3 stretch over the next five. Iona would right the ship with three wins over the next four games versus Sacred Heart, Bryant and Vermont, but then took another loss to Mount St. Mary’s. Over the first 14 games that would give the Gaels a 9-5 record.

In their Friday matchup with Siena, the Gaels went into the break with a five-point edge. Iona was outscored by a couple in the second half but they were also able to hang on and win 75-72 in the end. Toby Harris was the team’s leading scorer on 25 points and CJ Anthony doubled up with 10 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes of work during the win.

Marist Red Foxes Betting Preview

Over on the Marist side, they managed a nice 7-2 run in their first nine games. Those wins came versus Dartmouth, Vassar, Army, Lehigh, Mount St. Mary’s, Manhattan and Bryant. The next three games were a 1-2 run though, with a win over Stony Brook in between losses to Georgia Tech and Quinnipiac. In the first 12 games, that would give Marist an 8-4 overall run.

Matched up against Saint Peter’s on Friday, the Foxes held a three-point edge in the locker room. Marist limped to a 34-21 deficit the rest of the way however, leading to a 69-59 loss in the end. The Foxes’ Elijah Lewis led the team with 13 points and seven rebounds. Rhyjon Blackwell added 13 points with four boards and Tarik Watson had 11 points with four rebounds in 16 minutes of work.

Iona Gaels @ Marist Red Foxes Betting Trends: January 4, 2026

Why the Marist Red Foxes will win

• Marist has won each of its last five home games.

Why the Iona Gaels will win

• The road team has won each of the last four games between Iona and Marist.
• Marist has lost seven of its last nine games against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Iona vs Marist Prediction

I’ll stick with Iona. The Gaels managed to put away a pretty good Siena team in their last outing, but it was a close one. Iona shot 50 percent from the field in that one with 32 rebounds, but also had 14 turnovers and got outscored in the paint 34-28 along the way. The free throw shooting (8-of-13 for 61.5 percent) wasn’t spectacular either, but the team got the job done. Iona hasn’t been able to win more than two consecutive games since their first four-game win streak to open the season. They’ve been below 65 points in consecutive losses, so a nice total here would be a good boost.

As for Marist, they shot just 32.7 percent from the field with 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) from outside during a bad shooting outing versus Saint Peter’s in their last game. The Foxes have finished below 60 points in consecutive losses during their last two outings.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Iona Gaels +3.5