Rider Broncs vs Sacred Heart Pioneers Matchup

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

Rider vs Sacred Heart Prediction

Planning on watching today's Broncs and Pioneers game? Catch the action at William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, CT, as the Pioneers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 147.5 points, and Sacred Heart is favored by -5.5 vs. Rider in a Metro Atlantic Athletic conference matchup.

Rider vs. Sacred Heart Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Rider Broncs at Sacred Heart Pioneers
Where: Fairfield at William H. Pitt Center
Date: Thursday, February 6th
Betting Odds SACRED -5.5, RIDER +185 | SACRED -225 O/U 147.5

Broncs Preview: Can The Broncs Secure a Win at Fairfield?

Rider Broncs Recent Game/Games

Rider fell to 8-14 on the season after a 66-64 home loss to Merrimack on Sunday. Despite being +5 underdogs, the Broncs kept it close, covering the spread.

Rider led 38-37 at halftime but managed just 26 points in the 2nd half while allowing 29. The game’s total points of 130 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 128.5.

Broncs Offense Breakdown

Rider scored 64 points in their last game, shooting 45.3% from the field. They hit 46.2% of their threes, going 6-for-13, and were perfect from the free-throw line, making all 10 attempts.

Adam Clark led the way with 22 points and 10 assists, despite missing all 3 of his three-point attempts. T.J. Weeks Jr. connected on 4-of-7 from deep, finishing with 14 points and 3 assists.

Broncs Team Defense

Rider's defense gave up 66 points in this one, with their opponent shooting 45% from the field on 24 of 53 attempts. Inside the arc, the Broncs allowed 18 of 40 shooting, also 45%.

From three-point range, Rider's opponent hit 6 of 13, good for 46%. They also went a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line. The Broncs allowed 10 offensive rebounds.

Pioneers Preview: Will the Sacred Heart Defense Show Up at Home?

Sacred Heart Pioneers Recent Game/Games

Sacred Heart improved to 8-12 on the season with a 74-72 win over Manhattan on Sunday. The Pioneers were favored by 4.5 points at home, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 146, falling short of the 152.5 O/U line.

Leading 33-31 at halftime, Sacred Heart matched Manhattan’s 41 points in the 2nd half to hold on for the win.

Pioneers Offense Breakdown

Sacred Heart's offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 40.3% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range, hitting 13 of 37 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.7%, and they added 10 offensive rebounds and 18 assists.

Anquan Hill and Devin Dinkins both scored 24 points, with Hill shooting 75% overall and 66.7% from deep. Dinkins hit 50% of his threes, while Nyle Ralph-Beyer also connected on 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points.

Pioneers Team Defense

Despite Sacred Heart's defensive efforts, they allowed 72 points on 40% shooting from the field. The Pioneers gave up 14 two-point baskets on 30 attempts, with the opposing team hitting 46% of their shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Sacred Heart's defense conceded 13 threes on 37 attempts, with the opposing team shooting 35%. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 7 free throws, shooting 63%. The Pioneers allowed 10 offensive rebounds.

Broncs vs Pioneers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Rider has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 63 points per game in these games.
Across their last five home contests, Sacred Heart has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 80 points per game.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Broncs have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 3-0.
As the betting favorite, the Pioneers have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Sacred Heart posted a straight up mark of 5-5 in these matchups.