Canisius Golden Griffins vs Merrimack College Warriors Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Merrimack College vs Canisius NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Buffalo.

Merrimack College vs Canisius Prediction

Planning on watching today's Warriors and Golden Griffins game? Catch the action at Koessler Athletic Center in Buffalo, NY, as the Golden Griffins hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. Merrimack College is favored by -7 in this Metro Atlantic Athletic conference contest against Canisius. The game's over/under currently sits at 134.5 points.

Merrimack College vs. Canisius Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Merrimack College Warriors at Canisius Golden Griffins
Where: Buffalo at Koessler Athletic Center
Date: Friday, December 6th
Betting Odds MERRI -7, MERRI -297 | CANS +235 O/U 134.5

Warriors Preview: Will the Warriors Defense Show Up in Buffalo?

Merrimack College improved to 2-6 on the season with a 72-68 road win over Troy on Friday. The Warriors entered the game as +10.5 point underdogs but not only pulled off the upset, they also covered the spread. The total points for the game hit 140, going over the pre-game O/U line of 134.

Merrimack took control early, leading 43-32 at halftime. However, they allowed Troy to score 36 points in the 2nd half while managing just 29 points themselves. Despite the closer 2nd half, the Warriors held on for the win.

Warriors Offense Breakdown

Merrimack's offense was on fire from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting 14 of 25 threes for 56% shooting. They finished with an effective field goal percentage of 69.4% and a field goal percentage of 55.1% overall.

Devon Savage led the way, knocking down 7 of 9 threes and finishing with 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting. Adam Clark added 20 points and 7 assists, hitting both of his three-point attempts.

Warriors Team Defense

Despite Merrimack College's defensive efforts, they allowed 68 points on 45% shooting from the field in their last game. The Warriors gave up 17 two-point baskets on 29 attempts, a 58% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Merrimack held their opponent to 5 made threes on 19 attempts, a 26% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 30 times, where they converted 19 of those attempts, shooting 63%.

Golden Griffins Preview: Does Canisius Have What it Takes at Home?

Canisius Golden Griffins Recent Game/Games

The Golden Griffins fell to 0-8 after a 72-64 loss to Robert Morris on Wednesday. Despite being +13 underdogs, Canisius kept the game closer than expected. The combined points of 136 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Canisius led 33-31 at halftime but allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31. They’ll need to improve their 2nd half defense to get their first win.

Golden Griffins Offense Breakdown

In their recent game, Canisius put up 64 points, shooting 41.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 48.4%. Their three-point shooting struggled at 26.9% (7/26), while they connected on 52.8% of their two-point attempts (19/36). The Golden Griffins hit 71.4% of their free throws, going 5/7 from the line, and grabbed 8 offensive rebounds, finishing with 11 assists.

Amarion Dickerson led the way with 19 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 77.8% (7/9) from the field. Dylan Godfrey added 18 points, though he hit just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, while DJ Smith contributed 14 points, knocking down 2 of 3 three-point attempts. Anthony Benard chipped in 11 points and 6 assists, shooting 62.5% overall and 50% from deep.

Golden Griffins Team Defense

Canisius gave up 72 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 41% from the field on 23 of 56 attempts. From two-point range, they allowed 16 makes on 33 attempts, a 48% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Canisius held the other team to 7 of 23 shooting, or 30%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 19, an 82% rate. Canisius allowed 12 offensive rebounds.

Warriors vs Golden Griffins Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Merrimack College has a straight up record of 4-6 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 66 points per game in these games.
Through their last ten home games, Canisius has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 2-8 while averaging 60 points per game.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Golden Griffins have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 2-1.
In their last five contests as the favorite, Merrimack College has a poor record vs the spread going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-2.