The Merrimack Warriors and Wagner Seahawks are both seeking historical milestones for their basketball programs when they meet Tuesday night in the 2024 NEC Tournament final. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass. The No. 2-seeded Warriors (21-11) are seeking their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility after completing the process of moving up to Division I last season. But they must get past a No. 6-seeded Wagner (15-15) club that has its sights set on its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 2003.
The Warriors are 7.5-point betting favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 118.5 in the latest Wagner vs. Merrimack odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Merrimack vs. Wagner picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Wagner vs. Merrimack and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Merrimack vs. Wagner:
- Wagner vs. Merrimack point spread: Merrimack -7.5
- Wagner vs. Merrimack over/under total: 118.5 points
- Wagner vs. Merrimack money line: Merrimack -334, Wagner +260
- MRM: The Warriors are 7-2-1 against the spread when playing after two days of rest.
- WAG: The Seahawks are 8-5 ATS when playing with equal rest as their opponent.
- Wagner vs. Merrimack picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Merrimack can cover
The Warriors have understandably relied on conference Player of the Year Jordan Derkack, the versatile sophomore guard who leads the club in points (17.5 ppg), assists (6.1) and rebounds (4.0).
However, the Warriors also have other players who can step forward when needed, and freshman guard Adam Clark already has proven to be a difference maker in crunch time. In the Northeastern Conference Tournament semifinal win over Le Moyne, Derkack was limited to just six points because of a first-half ankle injury that hampered him the rest of the way. Clark stepped up and took over, with a game-high 24 points that saw finish as the only Merrimack player with double figures.
The 18-year-old Clark repeatedly hit key shots to fend off numerous second half runs by Le Moyne and also hit all right of his free-throw attempts, many of which came down the stretch to help close out the game.
"I never knew it would be like this," Clark told the media afterward. "I just knew to come to practice and play hard. Be myself at all times and maybe that will get me on the floor." See which team to pick here.
Why Wagner can cover
The Seahawks boast the top scoring defense in the Northeastern Conference at 62.6 points per game, a trait that carries well in March and one they have improved upon in the NEC Tournament by reducing that mark to 56.5. The club averages 6.1 steals per game and is relentless with its close-out defense against opposing shooters.
In their semifinal win over Central Connecticut, they held the Blue Devils to 36.2% from the field, which included just 5-of-26 beyond the arc. Wagner also won the rebounding battle by a 41-34 margin.
Although the Wagner starters scored all but eight of its points, the Seahawks saw balanced distribution with four starters reaching double figures. Sophomore guard Julian Brown notched a team-high 20 points, while Keyontae Lewis and Melvin Council Jr. added 12 each. See which team to pick here.
How to make Wagner vs. Merrimack picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 128 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Merrimack vs. Wagner, and which side of the spread over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
