Merrimack College Warriors vs Saint Mary’s Gaels NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Warriors versus the Gaels? Tip off is at at 10:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at University Credit Union Pavilion in Moraga, CA. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 127.5 points, with Saint Mary’s being favored by -20.5 over Merrimack College.

MERRIMACK COLLEGE WARRIORS VS SAINT MARY’S GAELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Merrimack College Warriors +20.5

This game will be played at University Credit Union Pavilion at 10:00 ET on Thursday, December 19th.

WHY BET THE MERRIMACK COLLEGE WARRIORS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 84-66 in favor of the Gaels.
• Even though we have Saint Mary’s winning straight-up, we like Merrimack College at +20.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 127.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 150 points.

No Pressure for Merrimack College as Away Dogs

Merrimack College Warriors Recent Game

The Warriors fell to 5-7 on the season after a 74-68 loss to Stanford on Tuesday. Despite being +15.5 point underdogs, Merrimack kept the game closer than expected.

After trailing 39-30 at halftime, the Warriors outscored Stanford 38-35 in the 2nd half. The total points for the game went over the 135.5 O/U line, finishing at 142.

Merrimack put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 43.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. They connected on 56.7% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 28% on 7 of 25 shooting. At the free-throw line, they converted 76.5%, making 13 of 17 attempts.

Adam Clark led the way with 32 points, shooting 66.7% from the field and 50% from three. Oziyah Sellers added 19 points, hitting 72.7% overall and 50% from deep. Jaylen Blakes was perfect from three, going 4 for 4, and finished with 16 points and 5 assists.

Even with Merrimack College’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t keep their opponent from putting up 74 points. The Warriors allowed a 44% shooting performance, with the opposing team hitting 25 of their 56 field goal attempts.

Merrimack gave up 11 three-pointers on 23 attempts, a 47% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 13 of those tries, shooting 65%.

Can Saint Mary’s Secure a Home Victory?

Saint Mary’s Gaels Recent Game/Games

Saint Mary’s fell to 8-2 on the season after a 67-65 loss to Boise State on Saturday, December 14th. The Gaels, who were -2.5 favorites going into the game, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game came in at 132, under the pre-game O/U line of 139.

In the game, Saint Mary’s trailed 32-26 at halftime but made a push in the second half, outscoring Boise State 33-27. However, it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

Saint Mary’s struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 37.7% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range, finishing with 65 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.6%, and they managed 10 offensive rebounds and 10 assists.

Tyson Degenhart led the Gaels with 19 points, though he shot 38.5% overall and just 1 of 6 from deep. Augustas Marciulionis added 17 points and 6 assists, while Alvaro Cardenas contributed 14 points, hitting 5 of 8 shots and making his only three-point attempt.

Saint Mary’s Gaels gave up 67 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 41% from the field on 21 of 51 attempts. Defensively, the Gaels allowed 17 two-point baskets on 37 attempts, a 45% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, the Gaels held the opposition to just 4 made threes on 14 attempts, a 28% shooting performance. The Gaels also sent the other team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 21 of those attempts for 77%. Saint Mary’s allowed 11 offensive rebounds.