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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Merrimack-Stanford prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Merrimack-Stanford.
Unlike UCLA and Oregon, Stanford did not migrate to the Big Ten. The Cardinal are now in the ACC, and they just did come off a big win over their ACC rival and partner, the Cal Golden Bears. Stanford did suffer a stinging loss to Cal Poly earlier this season, and there have been a few bumps in the road for first-year head coach Kyle Smith, who came to the Trees from Washington State after the last season of Pac-12 basketball concluded. However, the decisive win at Cal — over Mark Madsen, the Golden Bear coach who used to play for Stanford — was a really big shot in the arm for Smith and his first go-round as Stanford coach. That win could really catapult the Trees into the remainder of their season. They will soon get into the teeth of the ACC schedule on the other side of Christmas Day, but first, there's another tune-up game against Merrimack, which is coming off a hard-fought 64-61 win over Boston University.
Merrimack started the season 1-6 and was getting pushed around, but the Warriors have fought back over the past few weeks, winning four straight games. The reason Merrimack has gotten better: defense. The Warriors have allowed 68 points or fewer in this four-game winning streak. Opponents can't even reach 70 points against them. Stanford has the talent to be able to crack the 70-point mark, which should enable the Cardinal to win the game outright. However, will that be enough to cover a double-digit point spread, which is an item of interest for bettors looking in at this game? We will soon find out.
Here's a plot twist, however, which we will talk about more below: Will a total play be better than a side play in this game? We don't usually do totals, but there's always a time to go off the beaten path if a number looks really good.
Here are the Merrimack-Stanford College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Merrimack-Stanford Odds
Merrimack: +14.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +920
Stanford: -14.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -1800
Over: 137.5 (-115)
Under: 137.5 (-105)
How to Watch Merrimack vs Stanford
Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Merrimack Will Cover The Spread/Win
Merrimack is playing really good defense and is managing to play games in the 60s. That is clearly the Warriors' comfort zone. It is where they want to be in terms of pace and overall style of play. The consistency with which this team has been able to slow down games and contain opposing offenses over the past two weeks has been really impressive. With Stanford probably not being as hungry or intense after the win over Cal a few days ago, Merrimack can catch the Trees on an off night and keep the game close enough to cover.
Why Stanford Will Cover The Spread/Win
Stanford beat Cal on the road by eight after leading by 16 at halftime. The Cardinal, if able to beat Cal by eight on the road, should be able to beat Merrimack by at least seven more points at home and win by 15 or more. That would be enough to cover.
Final Merrimack-Stanford Prediction & Pick
We are indeed going with a total and not a side. Stanford has averaged over 85 points per game in its last three games. Stanford has scored in the upper 70s or better in most of its past several games. Regardless of which team covers the spread, Stanford can probably pull Merrimack into a faster pace, as opposed to Merrimack dragging Stanford into a slower pace. That's why we're taking the over. Keep in mind that with a predicted 14.5-point spread and the listed total, the predicted score for this game is Stanford 76, Merrimack 61 (or 62). We think Stanford will go over 76 and Merrimack will get into the 60s. That would be an over.
Final Merrimack-Stanford Prediction & Pick: Over 137.5
