Holy Cross Crusaders vs American Eagles NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25
Looking to win big? The Crusaders and Eagles face off at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The Eagles are hosting the game at Bender Arena in Washington, DC. This Patriot League conference matchup has an over/under of 137.5 points, and American is favored to win by -5.5 at home vs. Holy Cross.
HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS VS AMERICAN EAGLES BETTING PICK
The Pick: American Eagles -5.5
This game will be played at Bender Arena at 2:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.
WHY BET THE AMERICAN EAGLES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-70 in favor of the Eagles.
- Not only will American pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 137.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.
Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?
Holy Cross Crusaders Recent Game/Games
Holy Cross improved to 7-5 on the season with a 74-72 win over Loyola Maryland on Thursday. The Crusaders were -2.5 favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 146 exceeded the O/U line of 139.5.
After trailing 36-33 at halftime, Holy Cross turned things around by scoring 41 points in the 2nd half while allowing 36.
Holy Cross put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and 47.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 59.3%.
Aidan Richard was a standout, hitting 6 of 8 threes and finishing with 18 points. Jordan Stiemke led the team with 19 points, while Milos Ilic contributed 12 rebounds and 8 assists.
Holy Cross gave up 72 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 50% from the field. The Crusaders allowed 27 made field goals on 54 attempts.
From three-point range, Holy Cross allowed 11 made threes on 23 attempts, a 47% shooting rate. The opposing team also went 9/13 from the free-throw line.
Are the Eagles Ready for a Home Win?
American’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 4-8 after an 81-58 loss to Navy on Thursday. The Eagles were -2 favorites going into the game but failed to cover the spread, and the total points of 139 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 137.5.
American found themselves in a 42-29 hole at halftime and couldn’t mount a comeback, scoring 29 points in the 2nd half while allowing 39.
In their last game, the Eagles managed just 58 points, shooting 37.5% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc (9/33). Their effective field goal percentage was 46.4%, and they hit 63.6% of their free throws (7/11).
Aidan Kehoe led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 72.7% from the floor. Donovan Draper also grabbed 11 boards and added 8 assists, hitting 6 of 7 shots, including 2/2 from three-point range.
American’s defense struggled, giving up 81 points on 54% shooting. They allowed 61% on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 25 of 41 shots.
From beyond the arc, the opposition shot 35%, making 5 of 14 threes. American also sent them to the line 23 times, where they converted 16 free throws (69%).