Check out our free Navy vs Holy Cross pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Worcester. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Navy vs Holy Cross Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Midshipmen vs Crusaders Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Navy Midshipmen at Holy Cross Crusaders
- Where: Worcester at Hart Center
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: Navy -5.5, NAVY -245 | HOLY +195 O/U 133.0
Midshipmen Preview:
The Navy Midshipmen head into today’s game in what will be their 24th game of the season, posting a record of 12-11. So far, the Midshipmen have played 13 games on the road, with a record of 6-7. This season, Navy has been favored to win in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 6-7. For today’s contest, Navy has a betting line set -5.5 points in their favor.
Navy will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Tyler Nelson who is averaging 11.91 points per game for the Midshipmen. Nelson 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 Midshipmen’s offensive game plan is the play of Daniel Deaver who has hit 52.3% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.61 points per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Navy this season, as they are currently ranked 384th in college basketball at 65.0 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 Midshipmen’s 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.6%, placing them 341st in the NCAA.
Crusaders Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs Navy, the Holy Cross Crusaders will be taking the floor for the 25th time this season and have an overall record of 8-16. So far this season, Holy Cross has played 13 games at home, sitting with a record of 5-8. For the season, Holy Cross has been the underdog in 20 games, sitting with a mark of 5-15. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Crusaders being +5.5 point underdogs.
Gerrale Gates comes into today’s game as the Crusaders’ leading scorer at 17.0 points per contest. Not only has Gates been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Holy Cross’ top rebounder at 9.35 boards per contest. Behind Gates, the team has benefited from the strong play of Will Batchelder, who is second on the team in scoring at 11.79 points per game. Overall, he has hit 42.3% of his shots and is adding 2.04 boards per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Holy Cross this season, as they are currently ranked 375th in college basketball at 65.2 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 Crusaders’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 34.3%, placing them 223rd in the NCAA.
Free Spread Prediction: Holy Cross Crusaders +5.5
In this matchup, between the Holy Cross Crusaders and Navy Midshipmen, we recommend getting a bet down on Holy Cross to cover the spread as home dogs. Our analysis points to the Crusaders’ defense as the key reason that they will cover at +5.5. Look for Navy’s offensive struggles to continue, as their overall field goal percentage is just 290th in college basketball. Although the oddsmakers have Navy as the betting favorite, before tip-off we feel good about taking the points with Holy Cross at home.
