Iona Gaels vs Sacred Heart Pioneers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Iona vs Sacred Heart NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Fairfield.

Iona vs Sacred Heart Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Gaels versus the Pioneers? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, CT. The over/under for this Metro Atlantic Athletic conference contest is set at 142 points, with Sacred Heart being favored by -1 at home against Iona.

Iona vs. Sacred Heart Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Iona Gaels at Sacred Heart Pioneers
Where: Fairfield at William H. Pitt Center
Date: Friday, December 6th
Betting Odds SACRED -1, IONA -110 | SACRED -110 O/U 142

Gaels Preview: Does Iona Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

Iona’s season continued 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 didn’t get the win, they did manage to cover the spread.

The game was tied 35-35 at halftime, but Iona was outscored 35-31 in the second half. The total points for the game ended up at 136, just over the O/U line of 134.

Gaels Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Iona's offense struggled, shooting just 35.5% from the field and 35% on two-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.9%, though they connected on 36.4% of their threes, hitting 8 of 22 from deep.

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

Gaels Team Defense

Despite Iona allowing 70 points, they struggled to contain their opponent's two-point shooting, giving up 66% from inside the arc. Overall, the Gaels allowed 45% shooting from the field, with their opponent hitting 21 of 46 attempts.

Iona did manage to limit damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 3 made threes on 19 attempts, a 15% success rate. However, their opponent capitalized on free throws, going 25 for 29, an 86% clip. The Gaels also gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Pioneers Preview: Can the Pioneers Please their Home Crowd?

The Pioneers improved to 3-5 on the season after a 73-65 road win over the Terriers on Sunday. Sacred Heart entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs but managed to pull off the upset and cover the spread.

Leading 30-28 at halftime, the Pioneers scored 43 points in the 2nd half while holding Boston to 37. The total points for the game were 138, just under the O/U line of 139.

Pioneers Offense Breakdown

Sacred Heart's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 41.8% from the field. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 46.4% of their threes (13/28) and posting an effective field goal percentage of 54.5%. At the free-throw line, they connected on 87.5%, going 14/16.

Kyrone Alexander led the way with 22 points and 4 assists, shooting 63.6% overall. Amiri Stewart added 20 points, while Michael McNair contributed 18 points, hitting 4 of 8 from three. Nyle Ralph-Beyer also hit 50% from deep, finishing with 17 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.

Pioneers Team Defense

Despite Sacred Heart's strong defensive effort, they couldn't hold their opponent under 65 points. The Pioneers limited them to just 35% shooting from the field, with 20 made baskets on 57 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Sacred Heart's defense held their opponent to 31% shooting, as they connected on 9 of 29 three-point attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 16 for a 94% success rate.

Gaels vs Pioneers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Iona has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 65 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
Through their last three home games, Sacred Heart has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 73 points per game.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Gaels have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
As the betting favorite, the Pioneers have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Sacred Heart posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.