Check out our free Fairleigh Dickinson vs LIU pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Brooklyn. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Fairleigh Dickinson vs LIU Pick & Preview: Thursday, February 9th Betting Odds
Knights vs Sharks Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at LIU Sharks
- Where: Brooklyn at Steinberg Wellness Center
- Date: Thursday, February 9th
- Betting Odds: Fairleigh Dickinson -9, FAIRDK -440 | LIUB +330 O/U 156.0
Knights Preview:
Fairleigh Dickinson heads into this matchup having played 25 games and have an overall record sitting at 14-11. On the road, the Knights will be playing their 13th game of the season, having gone 6-7. This season, Fairleigh Dickinson has been favored to win in 11 games, sitting with a mark of 7-4. For today’s contest, Fairleigh Dickinson has a betting line set -9 points in their favor.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s leading scorer this season is Demetre Roberts, who is averaging 16.72 points per contest. So far, Roberts has accounted for 21.28% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 2.92 rebounds per game and 4.36 assists. Grant Singleton is the second leading scorer for the Knights, averaging 15.08 points per game. Between him and Singleton, they are accounting for 39.7% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Fairleigh Dickinson this season, as they are currently ranked 321st in college basketball at 67.2 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Knights’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.4%, placing them 348th in the NCAA.
Sharks Preview:
LIU will take the floor against the Knights with an overall record of 3-20. So far this season, LIU has played 10 games at home, sitting with a record of 2-8. For the season, LIU has been the underdog in 21 games, sitting with a mark of 1-20. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Sharks being +9 point underdogs.
LIU will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Marko Maletic who is averaging 16.62 points per game for the Sharks. Maletic is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Sharks’ offensive game plan is the play of Jacob Johnson who has hit 44.8% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 10.78 points per game.
On offense, LIU is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.8 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 23 games, they have only hit 31.3% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 40.06% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: LIU Sharks +9
Our analysis for this game between the LIU Sharks and Fairleigh Dickinson Knights points to LIU covering the spread as +9 point underdogs. We see the line for this matchup being set too high, leaving an opportunity for LIU to cover. Even if they are trailing throughout the game, the Sharks are an excellent candidate to keep the final score closer than oddsmakers are expecting. In these situations, the better team’s pace of play can play a large role in them being able to cover such a large spread. However, given that both sides are near the NCAA average in possessions per game, LIU won’t be forced to play an unfamiliar style of basketball. Heading into the game, our model recommends locking in a bet on the LIU Sharks at +9.
