Maine Black Bears vs NJIT Highlanders Matchup

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

Maine vs NJIT Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Black Bears and Highlanders. The game is starting at 11:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Highlanders at NJIT Wellness and Events Center in Newark, NJ. Get ready to place your bets! Maine come into this America East conference matchup as the -9 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 129.5 points.

Maine vs. NJIT Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Maine Black Bears at NJIT Highlanders
Where: Newark at NJIT Wellness and Events Center
Date: Thursday, January 16th
Betting Odds MAINE -9, MAINE -437 | NJIT +335 O/U 129.5

Black Bears Preview: Are the Black Bears Ready for a Road Win?

Maine evened their season record at 8-8 with an 87-66 win over Albany on Saturday. Playing at home, the Black Bears entered the game as -4.5 favorites and covered the spread with the 21-point victory.

Maine led 43-31 at halftime and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Albany 44-35. The total points for the game reached 153, going over the pre-game O/U line of 143.

Black Bears Offense Breakdown

Maine's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 87 points with a field goal percentage of 56.4% and an effective field goal percentage of 65.5%. They knocked down 11 of 23 three-pointers, shooting 47.8% from deep, and hit 62.5% of their two-point attempts.

Christopher Mantis led the way from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 8 threes and finishing with 17 points in just 20 minutes. Jaden Clayton added 16 points and 7 assists, shooting 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Black Bears Team Defense

Even with Maine's defense allowing 66 points, they couldn't capitalize on their offensive performance. The Black Bears shot 56% from the field, hitting 31 of their 55 attempts. Inside the arc, they were 20/32, shooting 62% on two-point shots.

From three-point range, Maine connected on 11 of 23 attempts, shooting 47%. They also went 14/18 from the free-throw line, making 77% of their free throws. The Black Bears gave up just 2 offensive rebounds in the game.

Highlanders Preview: Will the Highlanders Defense Show Up at Home?

NJIT’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 2-14 after a 70-62 home loss to UMass-Lowell on Saturday. The Highlanders were +20 underdogs going into the game but managed to keep it closer than expected.

After trailing 39-26 at halftime, NJIT outscored the River Hawks 36-31 in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 132 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Highlanders Offense Breakdown

In their last game, NJIT's offense struggled, shooting just 37.9% from the field and finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 42.4%. They hit 35% of their threes, going 7-for-20, and were 5-for-9 from the free-throw line, a 55.6% mark.

Martin Somerville led the way with 26 points, hitting 5-of-9 from deep and 7-of-12 overall. Sebastian Robinson added 21 points on 10-of-26 shooting, while Max Brooks contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 7-of-10 from the field.

Highlanders Team Defense

Despite NJIT's strong defensive effort, holding their opponent to 70 points on 37% shooting, they couldn't come away with the win. The Highlanders limited two-point opportunities, with their opponent shooting just 39% from inside the arc.

From three-point range, NJIT allowed 7 makes on 20 attempts, a 35% clip. They also sent their opponent to the line 9 times, where they hit 5 free throws. NJIT gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Black Bears vs Highlanders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, Maine has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 70 points per game.
Across their last five home contests, NJIT has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 62 points per game.
The last ten games that NJIT was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 2-8 straight up.
As the betting favorite, the Black Bears have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 2-1.