Iona Gaels vs Sacred Heart Pioneers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/6/24

The Gaels and Pioneers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Pioneers will host the game at William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, CT. The odds for this Metro Atlantic Athletic conference game currently have Sacred Heart as the -1 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 142 points.

IONA GAELS VS SACRED HEART PIONEERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Sacred Heart Pioneers -1

This game will be played at William H. Pitt Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, December 6th.

WHY BET THE SACRED HEART PIONEERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Pioneers.
• Not only will Sacred Heart pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -1.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 142 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Is a Road Win Possible for the Gaels?

Iona’s season continues to be a struggle, as they fell to 2-7 after a 70-66 loss to Rice on Sunday. The Gaels were +4.5 point underdogs going into the game, and while they kept it close, they couldn’t pull off the win. The total points for the game ended at 136, just over the pre-game O/U line of 134.

After a 35-35 tie at halftime, Iona scored 31 points in the 2nd half but allowed 35, leading to the loss. They’ll need to tighten up defensively and find a way to close out games if they want to turn their season around.

Iona struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.5% from the field and 35% on two-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.9%, and they hit 36.4% from three-point range, making 8 of 22 attempts.

Adam Njie Jr. and James Patterson each scored 19 points, with Njie shooting 57.1% overall and 75% from three. Patterson added 9 rebounds. Caden Powell was efficient, hitting 6 of 8 shots for 14 points, while Trae Broadnax contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds.

Despite Iona’s defensive efforts, they allowed 70 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field. The Gaels struggled to contain two-point shots, where their opponents hit 66%, going 18/27.

Iona did better on the perimeter, holding their opponents to just 3/19 from three-point range, a 15% shooting performance. However, they sent their opponents to the line 29 times, where they converted 25 free throws, shooting 86%.

Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Pioneers?

Sacred Heart improved to 3-5 on the season with a 73-65 road win over Boston on Sunday. The Pioneers entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the victory.

Leading 30-28 at halftime, Sacred Heart scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. The game’s total points (138) just missed the O/U line of 139.

Sacred Heart’s offense put up 73 points in their latest game, shooting 41.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.5%, thanks in large part to hitting 46.4% from three-point range, connecting on 13 of 28 attempts. They were also efficient at the free-throw line, making 14 of 16 shots for an 87.5% success rate.

Kyrone Alexander led the way with 22 points and 4 assists, shooting 63.6% from the field. Amiri Stewart added 20 points, while Michael McNair and Nyle Ralph-Beyer each contributed 18 and 17 points, respectively, with Ralph-Beyer grabbing 9 rebounds. Anquan Hill chipped in 12 points, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Sacred Heart’s defense was strong, holding their opponent to just 65 points on 35% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the other team making only 11 of 28 attempts, a 39% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Sacred Heart allowed 9 three-pointers on 29 attempts, a 31% shooting performance. The opponent was efficient from the free-throw line, hitting 16 of 17 shots, a 94% rate. Sacred Heart also gave up 10 offensive rebounds.