Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
Betting on today’s Knights and Golden Gophers game? Catch the action at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN, as the Golden Gophers hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on BTN. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 145.5 points, with Minnesota being favored by -16.5 over Fairleigh Dickinson.
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS VS MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights +16.5
This game will be played at Williams Arena at 2:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Golden Gophers.
- Even though we have Minnesota winning straight-up, we like Fairleigh Dickinson at +16.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 145.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Does Fairleigh Dickinson Have a Shot at a Road Win?
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Recent Game/Games
Fairleigh Dickinson fell to 1-9 on the season after a 77-72 road loss to La Salle on Wednesday. The Knights, who entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs, kept it closer than expected.
Trailing 36-34 at halftime, FDU scored 38 points in the 2nd half but allowed 41. The game’s total points of 149 fell short of the 160.5 O/U line.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s offense put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.2%. They hit 55.6% of their two-point attempts and 36.4% from beyond the arc, connecting on 8 threes in 22 tries. At the free-throw line, the Knights shot 66.7%, making 8 of 12 attempts.
The Knights dished out 18 assists, with 7 offensive rebounds. Daeshon Shepherd and Deuce Jones led the way, scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. Jones shot 72.7% from the field, while Jameel Morris was perfect from deep, hitting 3 threes on 3 attempts and shooting 80% overall.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s defense gave up 77 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 42% from the field, as they hit 26 of their 61 shot attempts.
From two-point range, the Knights allowed 23 makes on 43 attempts, a 53% shooting rate. They held the other team to just 3 made threes on 18 attempts, a 16% shooting percentage. At the free-throw line, the opposition shot 73%, converting 22 of 30 attempts. Fairleigh Dickinson also gave up 17 offensive rebounds.
Does Minnesota Have a Shot at a Home Win?
Minnesota’s season record dropped to 6-5 after an 82-67 loss to Indiana on Monday. The Gophers were +9.5 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 149, surpassing the O/U line of 140.5.
After trailing 44-31 at halftime, Minnesota couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 36 points while allowing 38. The Gophers will need to regroup after this road loss.
In their last game, Minnesota’s offense put up 67 points, shooting 47.3% from the field. Their two-point shooting was solid at 54.5% (24/44), but they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 18.2% (2/11) of their threes. At the free-throw line, they were efficient, making 86.7% of their attempts (13/15).
Dawson Garcia led the way with 22 points, shooting 60% from the field. Oumar Ballo was perfect from the floor, going 5/5 and adding 18 points and 7 rebounds. Malik Reneau also contributed 16 points and 7 boards, while Kanaan Carlyle knocked down 3 threes, finishing with 14 points and 5 assists.
Despite Minnesota’s defensive struggles, they allowed 82 points on 56% shooting from the field. The Golden Gophers gave up 66% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 26 of 39 shots.
From beyond the arc, Minnesota’s defense held the opposition to 28% shooting, with just 4 made threes on 14 attempts. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 18 of those attempts.