Who's Playing

Fairfield @ Niagara

Current Records: Fairfield 12-15; Niagara 14-12

What to Know

The Niagara Purple Eagles will be returning home after a two-game road trip. Niagara and the Fairfield Stags will face off in an MAAC battle at 7 p.m. ET Friday at Gallagher Center. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W.'

The Purple Eagles came up short against the Marist Red Foxes on Sunday, falling 61-52.

Fairfield lost a heartbreaker to the Manhattan Jaspers when they met last December, and they left with a heavy heart again on Sunday. Fairfield was just a bucket short of a win and fell 73-72 to Manhattan.

Barring any buzzer beaters, Niagara is expected to win a tight contest. But bettors beware: they are only 3-6 against the spread when favored.

The Purple Eagles are now 14-12 while the Stags sit at 12-15. Two offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Niagara is stumbling into the matchup with the 11th fewest points per game in college basketball, having accrued only 64.5 on average. Fairfield has experienced some struggles of their own as they have only been able to knock down 40.70% percent of their shots, which is the ninth lowest field goal percentage in college basketball. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Friday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Gallagher Center -- Niagara, New York
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Purple Eagles are a slight 2-point favorite against the Stags, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 2-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -113

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Fairfield have won ten out of their last 16 games against Niagara.

  • Jan 06, 2023 - Niagara 77 vs. Fairfield 69
  • Feb 12, 2022 - Fairfield 73 vs. Niagara 53
  • Dec 05, 2021 - Fairfield 81 vs. Niagara 71
  • Dec 19, 2020 - Niagara 81 vs. Fairfield 61
  • Dec 18, 2020 - Niagara 68 vs. Fairfield 51
  • Feb 21, 2020 - Fairfield 61 vs. Niagara 60
  • Jan 03, 2020 - Niagara 75 vs. Fairfield 66
  • Feb 17, 2019 - Niagara 78 vs. Fairfield 73
  • Jan 07, 2019 - Fairfield 77 vs. Niagara 59
  • Mar 03, 2018 - Fairfield 90 vs. Niagara 77
  • Feb 10, 2018 - Niagara 95 vs. Fairfield 83
  • Jan 20, 2018 - Fairfield 104 vs. Niagara 85
  • Feb 26, 2017 - Fairfield 62 vs. Niagara 58
  • Feb 02, 2017 - Fairfield 81 vs. Niagara 61
  • Feb 20, 2016 - Fairfield 71 vs. Niagara 59
  • Jan 15, 2016 - Fairfield 73 vs. Niagara 68