Monmouth is atop the MAAC and has already clinched that conference title. They are at home against a Siena it has already blown out this season, so it is clear that the Hawks will be heavy favorites in this matchup. The Saints have played better in the conference than out of it but will still be a substantial underdog in this showdown.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, February 24, 2017, at the OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Friday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Monmouth is 24-5 straight up but just 11-15-1 against the spread. The Hawks have gone 5-6-1 against the spread in home games this season. They have been favored in 22 games this year and have gone 9-12-1 against the spread in those contests.
Siena is 14-15 straight up and 10-13 against the spread. The Saints have been much better against the spread on the road this season, covering in eight of 13 games, compared to a 2-8 record against the spread as the home team. Siena is 5-4 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Last meeting
Monmouth cruised to a 102-82 victory in the first matchup against Siena. The game was close at halftime but the Hawks dominated in the second half. They were led by Justin Robinson, who made eight three-pointers and scored 40 points.
He hit 14-of-20 shots from the field and would love to duplicate such an impressive performance this time out. Roberts is averaging 19.9 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds on the season and Siena must slow him down in order to have a shot at the upset.
Marquis Wright starred in the game for Siena, scoring 36 points and hitting six three-pointers of his own. While Wright played well in the shootout, he didn’t get enough support, as only two other players scored in double figures.
Key Stat
14. That’s the number of consecutive victories Monmouth has pulled off. The Hawks started the conference season at just 2-2, and the losses to St. Peter’s and Rider were part of a three-game losing streak as they also fell to North Carolina.
However, Monmouth has gotten really hot since then. They have been somewhat lucky to win all of those games, as they have knocked off Saint Peter’s by one point, Canisius and Manhattan by four points, Rider by five points and Niagara and Marist by seven points.
Monmouth has its fair share of blowouts during the streak, including the past three games. The Hawks knocked off Siena by the aforementioned 20 points, Niagara by 18 and Fairfield by 20. Monmouth is aiming to push its winning streak to 15 games in this showdown.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Siena is above .500 in the conference and is often competitive, but the task is just too tall in this one. Monmouth is playing at a very high level and is at home in this one.
The point spread is really what to watch in this one. The Hawks won by 20 on the road the first time around, so the spread could be large. Siena could give a better showing in this one, though, since Robinson is unlikely to get so hot from the field and dominate.
While Monmouth should once again win this one by double-digits, expect this final to be closer than the first time around.
College Basketball Odds: Monmouth 89, Siena 74
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
