Saint Peter's vs. Seton Hall Odds
| Saint Peter's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14.5 -104 | 131.5 -110o / -110u | +920 |
| Seton Hall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14.5 -118 | 131.5 -110o / -110u | -1800 |
This Saturday’s slate is not as loaded as Friday’s, but perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the day comes with Seton Hall Head Coach, Shaheen Holloway, returning to host his former team, the St. Peter’s Peacocks.
Holloway, as most know, took the Peacocks on a storybook Cinderella run last season to the Elite 8 as a No. 15 seed.
The Peacocks team has dramatically turned over, starting nearly from scratch. Jaylen Murray, Isiah Dasher, and Latrell Reid barely accrued playing time last season, but they will lead the charge along with Kyle Cardaci (transfer from Bryant), Mouhamed Sow (Redshirt Freshman), and Corey Washington (Freshman).
They will need to fill plenty of holes left by KC Ndefo and the others who left last season. Ndefo is now playing for his former coach at Seton Hall.
Seton Hall has a new look, as well. Holloway reloaded this team via the transfer portal. In addition to Ndefo, he landed Dre Davis (Louisville), Al-Amir Dawes (Clemson), Jamir Harris (American), Kadary Richmond (Syracuse), Tray Jackson (Missouri), and Femi Odukale (Pitt).
They have a ton of talent, but their 20 turnovers against Monmouth in their opener show that it will take time to work out the kinks with a new cast and a brand-new coaching scheme.
Holloway loves to employ a slow tempo with an emphasis on defense. Look for this to pan out over the course of the season.
St. Peter’s does the same. They currently rank 128th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, per KenPom, which is not too shabby for a team of their stature.
Since both teams totaled 131 and 132 points in their respective openers, the under should be a target for bettors in this reunion.
Saint Peter's Peacocks
St. Peter’s will take some time to figure out how this team will function. Head Coach Bashir Mason coached at Wagner for years. Last season, Wagner ranked 87th in eFG% on defense. He particularly emphasized defense on the perimeter, holding teams to below 30% from downtown.
With a team mainly made up of guards, he will need to do the same against the Pirates. They held NJIT to 18% from beyond the arc in the opener, so this strategy should continue.
On the offensive end, they only put up 72 on a paltry NJIT team, who ranked 332nd in the NCAA, according to KenPom. Murray and Washington led the way in scoring in double digits, but no one else broke that threshold.
They shot 6-of-22 from outside the perimeter, which does not help for a team who typically only plays one teammate over 6-foot-4. This will be one area of struggle for this team this season.
Seton Hall Pirates
Seton Hall will put a ton of pressure on the Peacock guards. They had 12 steals in their opener and Dawes did not add to that total, after averaging about a steal per game in the Clemson Tigers backcourt for three straight seasons. This team will have the versatility to utilize a similar press in key moments to overwhelm the Peacocks.
Here is an example from last year’s NCAA tournament when Holloway still coached St. Peter’s:
Want to stop your opponent from scoring? Keep the basketball away from the hoop. An absolute clinic by St. Peter’s on frustrating the ball-handler, disrupting rhythm, keep the ball in front, and overall pressure defense. pic.twitter.com/2YdMNsxq0S
— Craig Doty (@CoachDoty) March 26, 2022
The key to this will be Seton Hall’s length. In contrast with St. Peter’s, they have a backlog of depth. Ten players were on the court for at least 16 minutes against Monmouth. Yes, Holloway is determining his true lineup, but with the plethora of options, this will prevent fatigue.
In addition, Tae Davis, Dre Davis, Ndefo, Richmond, Odukale, Samuel, and Jackson are all at least 6-foot-6. This length could throw a wrench in the Peacock backcourt, especially on a press.
Saint Peter's vs. Seton Hall Betting Pick
Seton Hall has shown that they have not quite learned to take care of the ball with a new roster. They will slow down the game and use their length to force the short Peacocks’ team into a bind.
St. Peter’s will also be able to slow down the game, as they had in the past. They have a solid perimeter defense. They will bite into Seton Hall’s effectiveness by only allowing shots inside the arc, for the most part.
Since these teams are both slow and have a new look, grab the under at 132.5 (-110), and play it to 130 (-110).
