LIU Sharks vs Lehigh Mountain Hawks Matchup

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

Lehigh vs LIU Prediction

Planning on watching today's Mountain Hawks and Sharks game? Catch the action at Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn, NY, as the Sharks hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on NEC. Lehigh is favored by -4.5 in this non-conference contest against LIU. The game's over/under currently sits at 143.5 points.

Lehigh vs. LIU Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Lehigh Mountain Hawks at LIU Sharks
Where: Brooklyn at Steinberg Wellness Center
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds LEHI -4.5, LEHI -200 | LIUB +160 O/U 143.5

Mountain Hawks Preview: Can Lehigh Pull Off a Road Win?

Lehigh Mountain Hawks Recent Game/Games

Lehigh fell to 2-6 on the season after an 86-62 road loss to Dayton on Saturday, December 7th. The Mountain Hawks entered the game as +22.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Lehigh trailed 41-25 at halftime and were outscored 45-37 in the second half. The total points for the game were 148, surpassing the over/under line of 145.5.

Mountain Hawks Offense Breakdown

Lehigh managed just 62 points in their last game, shooting 38.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 45.2%. They connected on 34.8% of their three-point attempts, going 8-for-23 from deep, and struggled from the free-throw line, hitting only 54.5% of their shots.

Nate Santos was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting all 6 of his three-point attempts and finishing with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting overall. Keith Higgins Jr. also scored 24 points, making 4-of-8 from three-point range, while Malachi Smith contributed 17 points and 9 assists, hitting 3-of-4 from deep.

Mountain Hawks Team Defense

Lehigh's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points on 57% shooting from the field. They allowed 28 field goals, including 14 threes on 22 attempts, a 63% clip from beyond the arc.

From the free-throw line, their opponent went 16/23, hitting 69%. Lehigh did limit second chances, allowing just 1 offensive rebound.

Sharks Preview: Is an Upset Waiting to Happen at Home?

LIU Sharks Recent Game/Games

LIU’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 2-10 after an 80-72 loss to Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday. The Sharks were -2.5 point favorites at home but failed to cover the spread.

LIU trailed 34-29 at halftime and couldn’t slow down the Mountaineers in the 2nd half, allowing 46 points while scoring 43. The game’s total points of 152 surpassed the O/U line of 140.5.

Sharks Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the LIU Sharks put up 72 points, shooting 42.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 49%. They hit 6 of 18 from beyond the arc, shooting 33.3%, and connected on 24 of 32 free throws, good for 75%.

Malachi Davis led the way with 23 points, despite shooting 33.3% overall and missing all 4 of his three-point attempts. Dola Adebayo added 16 points, hitting 2 of 3 from deep, while Blake Lander and Abdou Khadre Kebe each contributed 12 points, with Kebe going 2 for 7 from three-point range.

Sharks Team Defense

Even with LIU's defense holding them to 42% shooting, this team managed to score 80 points. They shot 48% from two-point range, making 15 of their 31 attempts. From beyond the arc, they went 6/18, hitting 33% of their three-point shots.

At the free-throw line, they capitalized on their opportunities, going 24/32 for 75%. LIU gave up 11 offensive rebounds in this game.

Mountain Hawks vs Sharks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Mountain Hawks last ten road games, the team averaged 66 points per game while allowing 78. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 3-7 straight-up.
LIU has a 0-3 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 58 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Sharks have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
Through their last three games as the favorite, the Mountain Hawks have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.