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.