Merrimack College Warriors vs Sacred Heart Pioneers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Merrimack College vs Sacred Heart NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Fairfield.

Merrimack College vs Sacred Heart Prediction

Betting on today's Warriors and Pioneers game? Catch the action at William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, CT, as the Pioneers hosts this showdown at 11:00 ET on ESPN+. Merrimack College is favored by -1.5 in this Metro Atlantic Athletic conference contest against Sacred Heart. The game's over/under currently sits at 140.5 points.

Merrimack College vs. Sacred Heart Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Merrimack College Warriors at Sacred Heart Pioneers
Where: Fairfield at William H. Pitt Center
Date: Friday, January 10th
Betting Odds MERRI -1.5, MERRI -132 | SACRED +109 O/U 140.5

Warriors Preview: Can the Warriors Lock in a Road Win?

Merrimack College improved to 6-8 on the season with a 67-54 home win over Fairfield on Friday, January 3rd. The Warriors entered the game as -7.5 favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 121, falling short of the O/U line of 139.5.

Merrimack took control early, leading 38-24 at halftime. While they allowed 30 points in the 2nd half, they scored 29 to maintain their lead and secure the win.

Warriors Offense Breakdown

Merrimack's offense put up 67 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. They were especially effective from beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 15 threes for a 60% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 57.7%.

Devon Savage led the way, going 7 for 8 from three-point range, finishing with 21 points. Adam Clark added 18 points and 5 assists, despite shooting just 36.8% overall.

Warriors Team Defense

Despite giving up 54 points, Merrimack College allowed their opponent to shoot 50% from the field, with 26 made baskets on 52 attempts. Inside the arc, the opposition connected on 17 of 37 two-point shots, a 45% shooting rate.

From beyond the three-point line, Merrimack's defense allowed 9 made threes on 15 attempts, a 60% success rate. The opponent also went 6/10 from the free-throw line, shooting 60%. Merrimack limited them to 4 offensive rebounds.

Pioneers Preview: Will Sacred Heart Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

On Sunday, January 5th, the Pioneers improved to 5-8 on the season with a 99-82 home win over Canisius. Sacred Heart entered the game as -10.5 favorites and covered the spread.

Leading 48-43 at halftime, the Pioneers scored 51 points in the 2nd half while holding Canisius to 39. The game’s total points of 181 exceeded the O/U line of 145.5.

Pioneers Offense Breakdown

Sacred Heart's offense was clicking in their last game, putting up 99 points on 53.6% shooting from the field. They were especially effective inside, hitting 65.9% of their two-point attempts, and their effective field goal percentage was 60.9% overall. The Pioneers also connected on 10 of 28 threes, shooting 35.7% from deep.

Tanner Thomas led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 71.4% from the floor. Paul McMillan IV added 21 points, while Griffin Barrouk hit 5 threes and finished with 19 points. Sacred Heart dished out 28 assists as a team, with Tana Kopa contributing 7 assists and 14 points.

Pioneers Team Defense

Despite putting up 82 points, Sacred Heart's defense struggled, allowing their opponent to shoot 53% from the field. They gave up 37 made baskets on 69 attempts.

Inside the arc, Sacred Heart allowed their opponent to shoot 65%, with 27 made two-point shots on 41 attempts. From three-point range, their opponent hit 10 of 28 attempts, shooting 35%.

Warriors vs Pioneers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Warriors have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 7-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 64 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last three home games, Sacred Heart has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 74 points per game.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Pioneers have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Warriors have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.