Niagara Purple Eagles vs Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Purple Eagles versus the Mountaineers? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, MD. The over/under for this game is set at 138.5 points, and Mount St. Mary’s is favored by -5.5 vs. Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic conference matchup.

NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES VS MOUNT ST. MARY’S MOUNTAINEERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers -5.5

This game will be played at Knott Arena at 2:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE MOUNT ST. MARY’S MOUNTAINEERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Mountaineers.
• Not only will Mount St. Mary’s pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Can the Purple Eagles Pull Off a Road Win?

Niagara improved to 5-7 on the season with a convincing 88-69 win over Le Moyne on Sunday. Playing at home, the Purple Eagles entered the game as -4.5 favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 157, surpassing the O/U line of 142.5.

Niagara led 42-36 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the second half, holding Le Moyne to 33 points while scoring 46 of their own.

Niagara put up 88 points in their latest game, shooting 47% from the field and hitting 41.7% from three-point range, connecting on 10 of 24 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 54.5%, with a 50% success rate on two-point shots (21/42). They also made 16 of 22 free throws, good for 72.7%.

Jaeden Marshall led the way with 21 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep and shooting 62.5% overall. AJ Dancler added 17 points, knocking down 3 of 5 threes. Zion Russell was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting all 3 of his attempts, finishing with 11 points. Ocypher Owens contributed 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, despite shooting just 27.3% from the floor.

Niagara’s defense gave up 69 points, with their opponents shooting 47% from the field, hitting 31 of 66 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 21 of 42 for 50% shooting.

From three-point range, Niagara’s defense allowed 10 of 24 for 41%. They also sent their opponents to the line 22 times, where they made 16 free throws, shooting 72%. Niagara gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Is A Home Victory Likely for Favored Mount St. Mary’s?

Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers Recent Game/Games

The Mountaineers fell to 7-5 on the season after a 64-56 road loss to George Mason on Saturday. Despite being +16 underdogs, Mount St. Mary’s kept it closer than expected.

They led 30-28 at halftime but were outscored 36-26 in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 120 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Mount St. Mary’s struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 56 points with a field goal percentage of 33.9% (21/62). Their effective field goal percentage was 38.7%, and they shot 26.9% from three-point range, hitting 7 of 26 attempts. At the free-throw line, they connected on only 46.7% of their shots, going 7 for 15.

Jalen Haynes led the Mountaineers with 18 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 66.7% from the field. Darius Maddox and Dola Adebayo each added 13 points, with Adebayo shooting 38.5% overall. Terrell Ard Jr. contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds, hitting his only three-point attempt.

Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers gave up 64 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 45% from the field, with a 51% success rate on two-point attempts (15/29). From beyond the arc, the opponent hit 6 of 17 threes, good for 35%.

At the free-throw line, the opponent struggled, converting just 16 of 28 attempts for 57%. The Mountaineers also allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.