Spiro Sports Center hosts a matinee battle between conference foes on Thursday. The Wagner Seahawks host the St. Francis (NY) Terriers in the eighth Northeast Conference game for both teams. Wagner is 11-7 overall and 4-3 in conference action, including a three-game winning streak. St. Francis is 9-11 overall and 2-8 on the road, with a 2-5 mark against Northeast Conference opponents.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Seahawks as 9.5-point favorite at home for this 5 p.m. ET start time on CBS Sports Network. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 125 in the latest St. Francis vs. Wagner odds. Before making any Wagner vs. St. Francis picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 12 of the season 45-26 on all-top rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,100 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on St. Francis vs. Wagner and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for St. Francis vs. Wagner:
- St. Francis vs. Wagner spread: Wagner -9.5
- St. Francis vs. Wagner over/under: 125 points
- St. Francis vs. Wagner money line: Wagner -550, St. Francis +400
- SF: The Terriers are 4-6 against the spread in road games
- WAG: The Seahawks are 3-3 against the spread in home games
- St. Francis vs. Wagner picks: See picks here
Why St. Francis can cover
St. Francis has intriguing defensive characteristics, including a 19.9% turnover creation rate, which includes a 10.3% steal rate for the Terriers. St. Francis is blocking 10.2% of shots while holding opponents to 48.3% shooting on 2-point attempts. Wagner is a poor shooting team, making only 44.4% of 2-point shots, 31.0% of 3-point shots and 66.8% of free throw attempts. The Seahawks are also outside the top 300 nationally in free throw creation rate, and that boosts the projected efficiency of St. Francis.
On the offensive side, St. Francis is shooting 37% from 3-point range in conference games, No. 2 in the Northeast, and the Terriers are above-average in offensive rebound rate, free throw creation rate and free throw accuracy. Given that Wagner is one of the worst teams in the country in free throw rate allowed and block rate (5.6%) on defense, St. Francis can be aggressive.
Why Wagner can cover
Wagner's offense is balanced, with six players averaging at least 7.4 points per game this season. The Seahawks put pressure on opponents with a conference-leading 37.8% offensive rebound rate, and Wagner is making 74.0% of free throw attempts, No. 2 in the conference. Wagner is also facing a porous St. Francis defense that ranks second-worst in the Northeast Conference in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Opponents are shooting 40.4% from 3-point range against St. Francis, one of the worst marks in the country, and St. Francis is poor on the defensive glass, grabbing only 67.1% of available defensive rebounds. Wagner is also strong on defense, especially with regard to havoc creation. The Seahawks are forcing a turnover on almost 24% of defensive possessions, and opponents are shooting only 30.4% from 3-point range this season.
How to make St. Francis vs. Wagner picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, with 11 players projected to score at least seven points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins St. Francis vs. Wagner? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the St. Francis vs. Wagner spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
