Big Monday brings us two solid college battles: an all-New York battle and the first game of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
Manhattan will travel out to Long Island to face Stony Brook, while Miami heads north to visit Illinois in the first meeting between two powerhouse conferences.
Let's see which teams have the advantage on the college hardwood.
Monday College Basketball Betting
Odds as of Monday morning and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150).No strings attached. No rollover required.
Stony Brook vs. Manhattan
- Spread: Stony Brook -5
- Over/Under: 128
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
Stony Brook (5-3) is coming off a 75-61 loss at Delaware on Wednesday. The Seawolves are 4-3 against the spread including 0-1 at home.
Manhattan (3-2) enters this game off a tough 73-64 loss at Rhode Island, but is playing much better than its record would indicate.
The Jaspers are now at full strength, as 6-foot-9 sophomore Warren Williams had a season-high 14 points in just 10 minutes against Rhode Island. Williams has only played three games this season and his presence inside with senior forward Pauly Paulicap (5.2 rpg, 2.0 bpg) makes this Manhattan front line a difficult matchup for any team.
While Manhattan's offensive metrics fail to impress, the Jaspers have averaged over 70 points per game since Williams has returned. This includes an impressive 69-64 comeback road win at Elon.
The Jaspers certainly know how to force turnovers, ranking 13th best in defensive turnover percentage and 16th in defensive steal percentage. They will face a Stony Brook offense that is dreadful from inside the arc, ranking 333rd with a 41.2% 2P field goal percentage.
Neither team plays fast, as both teams rank 250th or worse in adjusted tempo per KenPom. This should be a low-scoring battle, which makes me lean towards Manhattan and the five points.
Stony Brook's pack-line defense fails to force turnovers, and its usual inside advantage with junior forward Mouhamadou Gueye (7.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg) can be matched by the Jaspers.
I'll take the five points with the Jaspers in this intrastate battle, in what should be a low-scoring game decided by one possession.
The Pick: Manhattan +5 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]
Illinois vs. Miami
- Spread: Illinois -8
- Over/Under: 146.5
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- ESPN2
Illinois (6-1) enters this contest on a four-game winning streak. The Fightin' Illini bring a fast-paced offense and a tenacious rebounding presence. Illinois ranks first in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage.
Head coach Brad Underwood's squad boasts four double-digit scorers led by lightning-quick guard Ayo Dosunmu (16.3 ppg) and senior Andres Feliz (15.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 4.4 apg).
Miami (1-2 ATS on the road) usually has a frontcourt size advantage but that will be neutralized by 7-foot-1 freshman center Kofi Cockburn (15.3 ppg, 12.1 rpg). Cockburn has three double-doubles in the past four games.
The Hurricanes' best hope will be to get hot from beyond the arc, where they rank 56th-best in the nation at 37.4%. Senior Dejan Vasilijevic (13.9 ppg, 43.9% 3P) and Oklahoma transfer Kameron McGusty (13.3 ppg, 35.3% 3P) lead the way for Miami.
Illinois should be able to force tempo against Miami, and the huge rebounding advantage will limit the Hurricanes' second-chances. Unless Miami can shoot well from beyond the arc, Illinois should comfortably earn this Big Ten-ACC Challenge win.
The Pick: Illinois -8 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]
