Bucknell Bison vs Lafayette Leopards Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Lafayette vs Bucknell NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lewisburg.

Lafayette vs Bucknell Prediction

Planning on watching today's Leopards and Bison game? Catch the action at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, PA, as the Bison hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Patriot League conference contest is set at 129.5 points, with Bucknell being favored by -5.5 at home against Lafayette.

Lafayette vs. Bucknell Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Lafayette Leopards at Bucknell Bison
Where: Lewisburg at Sojka Pavilion
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Betting Odds BUCK -5.5, LAFAY +185 | BUCK -228 O/U 129.5

Leopards Preview: Can Lafayette Stun the Crowd at Sojka Pavilion?

Lafayette Leopards Recent Game/Games

The Leopards dropped to 5-9 on the season after a narrow 71-70 loss to Navy on Sunday. Lafayette, +3 point underdogs going into the game, covered the spread but couldn’t pull off the upset.

After trailing 41-33 at halftime, the Leopards outscored Navy 37-30 in the second half but fell just short. The game’s total points of 141 went over the pre-game line of 138.5.

Leopards Offense Breakdown

In their recent game, Lafayette put up 70 points, shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.2%, and they hit 50% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they struggled, connecting on just 58.3% of their shots.

Donovan Draper led the Leopards with 17 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 66.7% from the field. Caleb Williams added 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 from three-point range, while Andrew Phillips contributed 15 points on 75% shooting, including 3 of 4 from deep.

Leopards Team Defense

Lafayette's defense gave up 71 points in their last game, with the opponent shooting 43% from the field on 26 of 60 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 19 of 44 shooting, also at a 43% clip.

From three-point range, the opponent hit 7 of 16 shots, again shooting 43%. Lafayette sent them to the line 17 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 70%. The Leopards gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Bison Preview: Can the Bison Offense Score Enough at Home?

Bucknell Bison Recent Game/Games

The Bison improved to 5-10 on the season with a 66-60 home win over Colgate on Sunday, January 5th. Bucknell, favored by 2.5 points, covered the spread with the victory.

After leading 23-19 at halftime, Bucknell scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 41. The game’s total points of 126 fell short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Bison Offense Breakdown

Bucknell's offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 42.9% from the field. They connected on 36.4% of their three-point attempts, hitting 8 of 22, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 50%.

Noah Williamson led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 50% from the floor. Sam Wright contributed 16 points in just 17 minutes, knocking down 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Bison Team Defense

Despite Bucknell's defense giving up 60 points, they couldn't capitalize offensively. The Bison allowed their opponents to shoot 42% from the field, with 16 of those baskets coming from two-point range at a 47% clip.

From beyond the arc, Bucknell's defense saw their opponents hit 8 threes on 22 attempts, good for 36%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 15 times, where they converted 10 shots. Bucknell gave up 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Leopards vs Bison Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Lafayette has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 77. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 3-2.
In their last three home games, Bucknell has averaged 64 points per game while allowing 75. The team's record in this stretch was 0-3 while going 3-0.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Leopards have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Bison have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.