Bucknell Bison vs Lehigh Mountain Hawks Matchup

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

Bucknell vs Lehigh Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Bison and Mountain Hawks. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Mountain Hawks at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, PA. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 137.5 points, and Lehigh is favored by -2.5 vs. Bucknell in a Patriot League conference matchup.

Bucknell vs. Lehigh Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Bucknell Bison at Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Where: Bethlehem at Stabler Arena
Date: Thursday, January 2nd
Betting Odds LEHI -2.5, BUCK +133 | LEHI -160 O/U 137.5

Bison Preview: Can the Bison Offense Score Enough in Bethlehem?

Bucknell Bison Recent Game/Games

The Bison dropped to 4-9 on the season after a 75-63 road loss to Syracuse on Saturday, December 28th. Despite being +12.5 point underdogs, Bucknell managed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the 147.5 O/U line.

Bucknell trailed 43-31 at halftime but played Syracuse evenly in the second half, with both teams scoring 32 points. While they couldn’t pull off the upset, the Bison’s ability to keep the game closer than expected is a positive takeaway.

Bison Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, the Bison managed just 63 points, shooting 38.2% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 47.3%, with 11 offensive rebounds and 13 assists.

Josh Bascoe led the way with 22 points, hitting 6 of 11 threes. Eddie Lampkin Jr. contributed 18 points on 7 of 8 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, while Donnie Freeman also grabbed 11 boards, finishing with 15 points and 50% shooting from deep.

Bison Team Defense

Despite giving up 75 points, Bucknell's defense managed to limit their opponent's three-point shooting to 30%, with just 7 made threes on 23 attempts. However, they struggled inside, allowing 58% shooting on two-point attempts.

The Bison sent their opponents to the line 23 times, where they converted 14 free throws for 60%. Bucknell also gave up 15 offensive rebounds in this one.

Mountain Hawks Preview: Will the Mountain Hawks Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Lehigh Mountain Hawks Recent Game/Games

Lehigh improved to 3-6 on the season with a narrow 60-59 road win over LIU on Saturday. Despite being -5.5 favorites, the Mountain Hawks didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 119 points fell well short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Lehigh trailed 35-28 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Sharks 32-24 to secure the win.

Mountain Hawks Offense Breakdown

Lehigh struggled from the field in their last game, shooting just 38.3% overall and 32.3% on two-point attempts. However, they found success from beyond the arc, hitting 50% of their threes (8/16) and connecting on 80% of their free throws (16/20).

Jamal Fuller and Shadrak Lasu were key contributors, with Fuller scoring 20 points and Lasu adding 16 on 7/9 shooting, including 2/2 from three. Keith Higgins Jr. also scored 16 points, though he shot just 33.3% from the field.

Mountain Hawks Team Defense

Lehigh's defense held their opponent to just 59 points, despite allowing them to shoot 43% from the field on 25 of 57 attempts. Inside the arc, the opponent connected on 21 of 40 shots, good for 52%.

From three-point range, Lehigh limited the damage, as their opponent hit just 4 of 17 attempts, shooting 23%. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line only 8 times, where they made 5, shooting 62%. Lehigh allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Bison vs Mountain Hawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Bucknell has a 0-5 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 64 points per game while allowing 79. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
Across their five previous home games, Lehigh has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 64 points per game.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Bison have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 9-1.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Mountain Hawks have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.