It will be a battle between MAAC opponents when the Iona Gaels (3-9, 1-0 MAAC) welcome the Fairfield Stags (3-10, 0-1 MAAC) to the Hynes Athletics Center. The game starts at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019, and will air on ESPN 3.
Fairfield Stags vs. Iona Gaels ATS Prediction
In the Stags’ last contest, they were blown out by the No. 24 Purdue Boilermakers, 90-57. One of Purdue’s largest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 12-15 (80.0 percent), while the Stags were just 5-9 (55.6 percent). Jonathan Kasibabu had a solid game for Fairfield, putting up 14 points.
The Gaels beat the Albany Great Danes in their last game, 72-68. The Gaels had a much better turnover percentage (16.0 vs. 25.3) and had a better free throw rate (0.281 vs. 0.259). With 12 points and nine assists, Rickey McGill played well for Iona.
The physical Iona offense could be living from the charity stripe in this meeting. The Gaels currently rank 40th in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.287, while Fairfield ranks 337th in FTA rate allowed (0.318).
Both teams have had a couple of players trending in the right direction over their last five games. For the Stags it’s been Neftali Alvarez (0 points) and Landon Taliaferro (0 points), while E.J. Crawford (0 points) and McGill (0 points) have been great for the Gaels.
After the Gaels won two out of three contests against the Stags last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, Iona won 83-71. The Gaels knocked down 23 of their 27 free throws (85.2 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.508 vs. 0.477).
Fairfield Stags at Iona Gaels Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Iona, ATS Winner – Fairfield, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Iona ranks 46th in steals per game (7.8) while Fairfield ranks 146th (5.7).
Bettings Trends:
The Stags’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 8.2, up from 4.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 79.8 points per game (2.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 82.0 points per game (1.9 below their season average).
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