The Canisius Golden Griffins (2-3) welcome the Monmouth Hawks (4-2), the Metro Atlantic Athletic’s best team, to Koessler Athletic Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 4 and can be seen on ES3.
The Golden Griffins are hoping for a better outcome after their 98-96 loss to Buffalo the last time they played. Kassius Robertson finished with 24 points to lead the game. The Hawks are coming off an 83-73 win over USC in their last game. Justin Robinson led the game in scoring with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
Canisius is a slim underdog, with Monmouth favored by one. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 153 points. The Golden Griffins have gone 2-3 Straight Up (SU) and 1-2-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Golden Griffins have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 87.8 points per game. Canisius has been steady from the free throw line, shooting an impressive .750. Canisius is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 16.4 offensive rebounds per game. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Canisius, which ranks 41st at 1.43.
In the other locker room, the Hawks head into the game with records of 5-1 ATS and 4-2 SU. Offensively, they average 81.5 points per game on the road, which is 27th in the country. The Hawks are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .803 free throw percentage that ranks fourth in Division I. Taking care of the basketball is something the Hawks do very well, averaging just 10.2 turnovers per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, Monmouth won, moving its SU record against Canisius to 4-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. With a 4-1 record, the Hawks also have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Monmouth held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Canisius never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Can, ATS Winner – Can, O/U – Over
Notes
Canisius is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Canisius is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Canisius is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Monmouth.
Monmouth averages 79.8 points per game (ranked 85th). Canisius, on the other hand, allows 84.4 points per game (ranked 333rd).
Monmouth scores 81.5 points per away game (ranked 27th). Canisius ranks a poor 296th in points allowed at home, allowing 76.0 points.
The Canisius Golden Griffins average 73.6 possessions and 1.194 points per possession in games this season. The Monmouth Hawks average fewer possessions with 73.4, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.087.
Monmouth has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.3%. Canisius is a losing 1-3 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Canisius attempts 28.0 three pointers and Monmouth attempts 22.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Canisius Golden Griffins are 2-3 while the Monmouth Hawks have a winning 2-1 record.
Canisius ranks 41st in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.43. Monmouth is ranked lower at 121st with an A/TO of 1.18.
The Monmouth Hawks average 7.5 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Canisius Golden Griffins have a losing record (1-2) this season.
