The Rider Broncs (20-7, 13-2 MAAC) go head-to-head against the Canisius Golden Griffins (19-9, 13-2 MAAC) look to continue their winning streaks when they battle at Alumni Gymnasium. The Broncs have won nine games in a row, while the Golden Griffins are riding a six-game winning streak. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 156 points with Rider set as a 3.5-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18, 2018.
Canisius Golden Griffins vs. Rider Broncs ATS Preview
The last time the Golden Griffins played, they easily got past the Monmouth Hawks, 78-60. Isaiah Reese was the games leading scorer with 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting. The Golden Griffins forced 21 turnovers and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.592 (above their season average of 0.538).
The Broncs come in on a high note after blowing out the Siena Saints in their last matchup, 97-71. With 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, Dimencio Vaughn was the games leading scorer. The Broncs forced 18 turnovers and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.640 (above their season average of 0.519).
Expect Rider to dominate the offensive glass in this showdown. The Broncs currently rank 41st in offensive rebounding percentage (33.9 percent), while Canisius ranks 258th in defensive rebounding percentage (69.7 percent).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Canisius games have gone under 61.5 percent of the time, while games including Rider have finished over 69.6 percent of the time. Both teams have respectable straight up (SU) records (19-9 for Canisius; 20-7 for Rider), but the Golden Griffins hold a slight advantage against the spread (ATS). Canisius is 17-8-1 ATS, while the Broncs are 15-7-1.
Vaughn has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Rider, averaging 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined to put up 153 points in that game, which was just over the projected point total of 152. The Golden Griffins won 77-76, covering as 1-point favorites. Canisius 0.516 effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Rider, who had a rate of 0.492. Takal Molson recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Canisius Golden Griffins at Rider Broncs Odds Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – Canisius, ATS Winner – Canisius, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Golden Griffins rank 47th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Broncs rank 196th (4.8).
- Canisius ranks 34th in steals allowed per game (5.2) while Rider ranks 103rd (6.1).
- Canisius is 8-6 ATS on the road with 10 unders and 4 overs.
- At home, Rider is 4-4 ATS with 5 overs and 3 unders.
- Canisius ranks 30th in three pointers allowed per game (19.0) while Rider ranks 267th (25.9).
- The Broncs rank 14th in rebounds per game (40.1) while the Golden Griffins rank 234th (33.3).
- Canisius ranks 16th in assists per game (17.1) while Rider ranks 222nd in assists allowed per game (15.2).
Betting Trends:
- Rider is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Canisius is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Broncs average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.4, up from 5.3 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Golden Griffins have scored an average of 78.4 points per game (3.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 62.0 points per game (7.6 below their season average).
