The Canisius Golden Griffins (20-10, 14-3 MAAC) and Marist Red Foxes (6-23, 4-13 MAAC) will square off at Koessler Athletic Center to bring the regular season to an end. Canisius opened as a 15-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 151 points. Action starts at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 25, 2018.
Marist Red Foxes at Canisius Golden Griffins ATS Preview
In the Red Foxes last outing, they lost big to the Niagara Purple Eagles, 100-76. Marist’s Ryan Funk put together a solid performance, finishing with 13 points. Niagara had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.3 vs. 19.6). Marist, on the other hand, had a turnover percentage of 8.1 (better than their season average of 20.3).
The Golden Griffins will look to keep it rolling after defeating the Niagara Purple Eagles in their last game, 95-88. With 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting, Isaiah Reese led Canisius in scoring. Canisius dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 (above their season average of 29.7) and a free throw rate of 0.475 (above their season average of 0.200). Niagara was 24.2 and 0.379, respectively, for those same stats.
The prolific offense of Canisius (100th in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 109.4) will square off against the mid-tier defense of Marist (330th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 112.5). The Golden Griffins figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball. Moreover, the Red Foxes rank 335th in turnover percentage (21.9 percent), while the Golden Griffins rank 45th in opponents turnover percentage (21.6 percent).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Marist games have gone over 60.9 percent of the time, while 57.1 percent of games including Canisius have finished under. The Golden Griffins come into this game with a substantial advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 20-10 SU and 19-8-1 ATS, while the Red Foxes are 6-23 SU and 12-11 ATS.
Jermaine Crumpton has been playing at a high level over the last five games for Canisius, averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined to score 140 points in that game, which was under the projected point total of 149. The Golden Griffins won 73-67, but were unable to cover as 8-point favorites. The Golden Griffins dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 37.3 and a turnover percentage of 12.6. For those same stats, the Red Foxes were 14.8 and 29.6, respectively. Takal Molson recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Marist Red Foxes vs. Canisius Golden Griffins ATS Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – Canisius, ATS Winner – Canisius, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Golden Griffins rank 37th in blocks allowed per game (2.6) while the Red Foxes rank 71st (3.0).
- Marist ranks 211th in rebounds per game (33.9) while Canisius ranks 227th (33.6).
- Marist is 8-6 ATS on the road with 9 overs and 5 unders.
- Canisius is 9-2-1 ATS at home with 6 overs and 6 unders.
- Canisius averages 26.5 three pointers per game, which ranks 27th in the nation. Marist ranks 252nd in three pointers allowed per game (24.7).
- The Golden Griffins average 16.9 assists per game, which ranks 15th in the NCAA. The Red Foxes rank 225th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- Canisius ranks 82nd in steals per game (6.7) while Marist ranks 243rd (4.1).
Betting Trends:
- Canisius is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Marist is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Golden Griffins average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.8, up from 5.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Red Foxes have scored an average of 73.8 points per game (1.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 78.6 points per game (2.3 below their season average).
