The Friday college basketball schedule begins with a non-conference matchup in Durham, N.H. The Fairfield Stags, led by head coach Jay Young, take on the New Hampshire Wildcats, lead by head coach Bill Herrion. The matchup is the second game of the 2022-23 season for both clubs, with Lundholm Gymnasium hosting the action. Fairfield lost its opener by 12 points to Wake Forest, while New Hampshire throttled Division III Brandeis by a 32-point margin in its first game.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET in Durham. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Stags as 4.5-point road favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 126.5 in the latest Fairfield vs. New Hampshire odds. Before locking in any New Hampshire vs. Fairfield picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread.
Now, the model has set its sights on New Hampshire vs. Fairfield, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Fairfield vs. New Hampshire:
- Fairfield vs. New Hampshire spread: Fairfield -4.5
- Fairfield vs. New Hampshire over/under: 126.5 points
- FAIR: The Stags are 12-5 against the spread in the last 17 road games
- NH: The Wildcats are 5-7 against the spread in the last 12 home games
- Fairfield vs. New Hampshire picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Fairfield can cover
Fairfield should benefit from New Hampshire's sometimes shaky defense. The Wildcats were No. 293 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, and New Hampshire was in the bottom 10 nationally with a 14% turnover rate and a 6.4% steal rate. Fairfield turned the ball over on fewer than 17% of offensive possessions, and the Stags also faced high-end competition in the opener that should help in preparation for Friday's game.
On defense, Fairfield held opponents to 48.1% from 2-point range and 32.2% from 3-point range last season, and the Stags were in the top 20 nationally in assist rate allowed. New Hampshire finished outside the top 300 in free throw rate on offense, and the Wildcats were below-average in free throw accuracy (67.3%) and 2-point accuracy (48.1%) last season.
Why New Hampshire can cover
New Hampshire's defense had elite characteristics in key areas last season. The Wildcats finished No. 11 in the country in assist rate allowed, and New Hampshire was No. 5 in the nation with a 78.1% defensive rebound rate. Opponents shot less than 50% on 2-point attempts against New Hampshire, and the Wildcats were above-average in free throw prevention.
On offense, Fairfield finished outside the top 250 in free throw creation, and the Stags had more than 10% of their shots blocked by opponents. New Hampshire takes care of the ball, committing a turnover on fewer than 15% of possessions last season. In the opener, New Hampshire made 13 of 28 attempts from 3-point range, and the Wildcats made 36.6% of attempts last season. Fairfield struggled to create turnovers in 2021-22, and the Stags produced an ugly 7.4% block rate on defense.
How to make New Hampshire vs. Fairfield picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 134 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits almost 80% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Fairfield vs. New Hampshire? And which side of the spread hits almost 80% of the time? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $1,200 on its college basketball picks the last six years, and find out.
