Holy Cross Crusaders vs Loyola Maryland Greyhounds Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Loyola Maryland vs Holy Cross NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Worcester.

Loyola Maryland vs Holy Cross Prediction

Looking to win big? The Greyhounds and Crusaders face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The Crusaders are hosting the game at Hart Center in Worcester, MA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 140.5 points, and Holy Cross is favored by -2.5 to win at home against Loyola Maryland.

Loyola Maryland vs. Holy Cross Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Loyola Maryland Greyhounds at Holy Cross Crusaders
Where: Worcester at Hart Center
Date: Thursday, January 2nd
Betting Odds HOLY -2.5, LOYMD +124 | HOLY -149 O/U 140.5

Greyhounds Preview: Will Loyola Maryland Make it Happen on the Road?

Loyola Maryland Greyhounds Recent Game/Games

Loyola Maryland dropped 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.

After trailing 44-26 at halftime, Loyola Maryland scored 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The total points for the game were 149, exceeding the O/U line of 144.5.

Greyhounds Offense Breakdown

Loyola Maryland's offense put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 44.4% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, but they struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 55% of their attempts.

NJ Benson and Jacob Theodosiou each scored 22 points, with Theodosiou shooting 90% from the field and 75% from three. Benson added 17 rebounds, and the Greyhounds finished with 15 assists and 7 offensive boards.

Greyhounds Team Defense

Despite Loyola Maryland giving up 84 points, their defense managed to limit their opponent's three-point shooting to just 5/24, or 20%. However, they struggled to contain two-point shots, allowing 26/45 for a 57% shooting rate.

Loyola Maryland also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 17 attempts, shooting 73%. Additionally, the Greyhounds allowed 16 offensive rebounds in the game.

Crusaders Preview: Will the Crusaders Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

Holy Cross Crusaders Recent Game/Games

Holy Cross improved to 6-5 on the season with a 78-70 win over Siena on Friday. The Crusaders were +5.5 point underdogs going into the game, but not only pulled off the upset, they also covered the spread.

Holy Cross led 27-23 at halftime, but the game opened up in the 2nd half, with the Crusaders scoring 51 points and allowing 47. The total points for the game reached 148, surpassing the O/U line of 131.5.

Crusaders Offense Breakdown

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 in large part to hitting 51.7% from three-point range, connecting on 15 of 29 attempts. They also shot 81.2% from the free-throw line, making 13 of 16 shots.

Joe Nugent led the way with 20 points, hitting 6 of 9 threes. Marcus Jackson and Justice Shoats each added 17 points, with Jackson shooting 75% from the field. Max Green contributed 15 points and 6 assists, while Major Freeman chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds, despite struggling from three, hitting just 1 of 7 attempts.

Crusaders Team Defense

Holy Cross gave up 70 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 49% from the field on 27/55 shooting. Inside the arc, the Crusaders allowed 23/40 shooting, which is 57%.

From three-point range, Holy Cross held their opponent to 4/15 shooting, or 26%. The other team also went 12/18 from the free-throw line, hitting 66% of their attempts. Holy Cross allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Greyhounds vs Crusaders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Loyola Maryland has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 69 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Holy Cross has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 63 points per game while allowing 70. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Greyhounds have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Crusaders have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.