In the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Game, the 11-seed Marist Red Foxes (13-19, 9-14) face the 1-seed Iona Gaels (26-7, 21-3) Saturday, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. (ESPNU/ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Marist vs. Iona odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Marist has been wearing Cinderella’s slipper throughout this tourney, winning against Manhattan, Quinnipiac and St. Peter’s to become the first 11-seed to advance to the conference championship game.
Iona topped Mount St. Mary’s in the first tournament game by a 74-54 count, covering a 14.5-point number. The Gaels had a little more trouble with Niagara, before finally pulling away for a 71-59 win. The Purple Eagles covered as 13.5-point ‘dogs, however. The Under has cashed in both tourney outings, too.
Iona had no trouble with Marist during the regular season, winning 84-57 in Poughkeepsie as a 12-point favorite, Jan. 6, as the Over hit, before the Over cashed in a 93-74 home win as a 16-point favorite. In fact, the Gaels have won 13 straight games dating back to a Jan. 27 setback at Siena.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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Marist vs. Iona odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:15 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Marist +725 (bet $100 to win $725) | Iona -1300 (bet $1,300 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Marist +15.5 (-105) | Iona -15.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 136.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Marist vs. Iona picks and predictions
Prediction
Iona 88, Marist 65
Moneyline
It shouldn’t need to be said, but don’t play Iona (-1300). Risking 13 times your potential return is hacky and foolish.
PASS.
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Against the spread
IONA -15.5 (-115) is worth playing, even though this is a huge number for a championship game.
It’s tempting to play Marist +15.5 (-105), as it has been on a tremendous, kind-out-of-nowhere run. Alumnus Rik Smits would be proud. But the Red Foxes isn’t a wise move.
Even with Rick Pitino’s name being bandied about for a potential Big East job, there won’t be enough distraction to blow the Gaels off track.
Over/Under
OVER 136.5 (-105) is a slam-dunk play in this title game.
Iona rolled up 93 points in the most recent meeting, and averaged 88.5 PPG in 2 meetings in the regular season. Marist had a healthy 74 points in the most recent meeting March 2, and the Over is 9-3 in its past 12 games overall.
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