Loyola Maryland Greyhounds vs Holy Cross Crusaders NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

Planning on watching today’s Greyhounds and Crusaders game? Catch the action at Hart Center in Worcester, MA, as the Crusaders hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Patriot League conference game currently have Holy Cross as the -2.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 140.5 points.

LOYOLA MARYLAND GREYHOUNDS VS HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Holy Cross Crusaders -2.5

This game will be played at Hart Center at 6:00 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-70 in favor of the Crusaders.
• Not only will Holy Cross pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 140.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.

Can Loyola Maryland Pull Off a Road Win?

Loyola Maryland Greyhounds Recent Game

Loyola Maryland fell to 4-6 on the season after an 84-65 road loss to DePaul on Saturday. Entering the game as +18.5 point underdogs, the Greyhounds failed to cover the spread.

DePaul jumped out to a 44-26 lead at halftime, and while Loyola Maryland scored 39 points in the 2nd half, they allowed 40. The total points for the game hit 149, going over the pre-game line of 144.5.

NJ Benson and Jacob Theodosiou both scored 22 points in Loyola Maryland’s recent game, with Theodosiou shooting 90% from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Benson added 17 rebounds and shot 71.4% overall.

As a team, the Greyhounds shot 44.4% from the field, hitting 6-of-17 from three-point range (35.3%) and 11-of-20 from the free-throw line (55%). They finished with 15 assists and 7 offensive rebounds, posting an effective field goal percentage of 50%.

Despite Loyola Maryland’s defense giving up 84 points, they limited their opponent’s three-point shooting to just 5/24, a 20% success rate. However, their defense struggled inside, allowing 57% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 26 of 45 shots.

From the free-throw line, Loyola Maryland’s opponent went 17/23, converting 73% of their attempts. The Greyhounds also allowed 16 offensive rebounds in the game.

Can the Crusaders Deliver Being Favored at Home?

Holy Cross Crusaders Recent Game/Games

Holy Cross improved to 6-5 on the season after a 78-70 road win over Siena on Friday, December 20th. The Crusaders entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs but not only pulled off the upset, they also covered the spread.

After leading 27-23 at halftime, Holy Cross exploded for 51 points in the 2nd half while allowing 47. The total points for the game ended at 148, surpassing the O/U line of 131.5.

Holy Cross put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 45.5% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 58.2%, thanks to hitting 15 of 29 threes at a 51.7% clip, while struggling inside the arc, shooting just 38.5% on twos.

Joe Nugent led the way, hitting 6 of 9 threes, finishing with 20 points. Marcus Jackson and Justice Shoats each added 17 points, with Shoats connecting on 2 of 3 from deep.

Holy Cross gave up 70 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 49% from the field. Inside the arc, the Crusaders allowed 57% shooting, as their opponents went 23/40 on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Holy Cross held their opponents to 26% shooting, as they made just 4 of 15 three-point attempts. The Crusaders also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 18 times, where they converted 12 free throws for 66%.