MAAC foes will battle when the Monmouth Hawks (5-12, 1-4 MAAC) clash with the Iona Gaels (11-7, 5-1 MAAC) at OceanFirst Bank Center. Iona opened as a 2-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 153 points. Action starts at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, January 19, 2018.
Iona Gaels at Monmouth Hawks Free Preview
The Gaels won big over the Rider Broncs in their last outing, 91-64. With 13 points and nine assists, Iona’s Rickey McGill had a solid performance. The Gaels made 11 of their 14 free throws (78.6 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.727 (above their season average of 0.527).
In the Hawks last matchup, they were blown out by the Canisius Golden Griffins, 94-79. Austin Tilghman led Monmouth in scoring with 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Canisius out-rebounded Monmouth. The Golden Griffins had more offensive rebounds (11 vs. six), defensive rebounds (27 vs. 24) and total rebounds (38 vs. 30).
The aggressive Monmouth offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. The Hawks rank 14th in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.311, while Iona ranks 121st in FTA rate allowed (0.212).
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Games involving Iona have gone under 57.1 percent of the time, while Monmouth games have gone over 61.5 percent of the time. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Gaels have a sizable advantage. They are 11-7 SU and 8-5-1 ATS, while the Hawks are 5-12 SU and 5-8 ATS.
McGill has been exceptional over the last five games for Iona, averaging 15.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Hawks won both games last season. In the most recent matchup, Monmouth won 79-73. Monmouth did a great job of getting to and converting from the free throw line (22-30; 73.3 percent). Iona, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (10.6 vs. 18.9).
Iona Gaels at Monmouth Hawks Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Monmouth, ATS Winner – Monmouth, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Hawks average 36.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 126th in the nation. The Gaels rank 193rd in rebounds allowed per game (36.8).
- Iona is 5-3-1 ATS on the road with 5 overs and 4 unders.
- Monmouth is 1-2 ATS at home with 3 overs and 0 unders.
- Iona ranks 28th in three pointers attempted per game (27.0) while Monmouth ranks 248th (18.0).
- The Gaels rank 43rd in assists per game (16.3) while the Hawks rank 201st (12.4).
- Iona ranks 25th in steals allowed per game (5.1) while Monmouth ranks 158th (7.4).
Betting Trends:
- Monmouth is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Iona is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Hawks average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.0, up from 3.5 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 79.4 points per game (1.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 70.4 points per game (4.5 below their season average).
