by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Feb 17, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Hynes Athletics Center, New Rochelle, NY
Where to watch: ESPN3
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Iona -17
FanDuel: Iona -16.5
BetMGM: Iona -17.5
Caesars: Iona -17.5
Season record
Manhattan: 9-14 (7-7 MAAC)
Iona: 18-7 (11-3 MAAC)
February is here and the college basketball season is taking full shape. Conference races still to be determined, the top 25 completely in shambles for what seems like every week, and there's bound to be an upset what seems like every single week. But as the season continues to progress with what seems like exciting action every week, you know our champion handicappers continue to put the work in each and every week to not only make money for them, but to ensure you get money in your pocket. All you need to do is look at the last 30 days. Scott Rickenbach has reeled in a net profit of $14,000 with a 24-9-0 run on the college hardwood. Team Del Genio has killed it with a 13-1-0 run at +$11,900. Will Rogers (28-15-0) and Matt Fargo (40-27-0) have also seen five figures over the last 30 days with college basketball. Surely, you want to get on this winning as well. All you need to do is go to bigal.com, check out our Best Bets page and make sure you are following along on the action. March will be here before you know it! Take advantage of our best best plays and find out what our champion handicappers are doing at bigal.com!
Manhattan - Iona preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Manhattan: -- won 68-52 vs. Saint Peter's
Iona: won 72-55 at Niagara
I want to just solely focus this space on the Iona Gaels. this is a program that if you haven't paid attention to over the last number of years, you know that they are just just that random team that no one ever really expects to do anything. And you'll recall there was that time with Rick Pitino and that whole era and you never really knew if they were going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread or they were going to be the second coming of hoping that something would turn out right. But Iona is on its way to an MAAC championship but is dealing with a 3 way tie essentially at the top of the standings. So any game Iona plays at this point is paramount starting on Friday against Manhattan.
I want to just solely focus this space on the Iona Gaels. this is a program that if you haven't paid attention to over the last number of years, you know that they are just just that random team that no one ever really expects to do anything. And you'll recall there was that time with Rick Pitino and that whole era and you never really knew if they were going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread or they were going to be the second coming of hoping that something would turn out right. But Iona is on its way to an MAAC championship but is dealing with a 3 way tie essentially at the top of the standings. So any game Iona plays at this point is paramount starting on Friday against Manhattan.
Iona is a very good team. It's not sitting at 18-7 and 11-3 in conference play for nothing. This is a team that is averaging 75 points per game and only giving up 66, which is a number that should be ranked best among the rest of the teams in this conference. They have a very exciting guard in Walter Clayton, who averages 16.3 points per game and shooting nearly 47% from the floor. Not to mention, 95% from the free throw line. If you are making those free throws in college you have a future in the NBA to some degree. If you can make that absurd amount of free throws, you are doing something right.
Iona is coming into this game winners of five in a row and fresh off the latest victory that was 72-55 at Niagara on Sunday. And as he's done for the majority of this season, Clayton was spectacular going 12 of 23 and scoring a game high 30 points to help I own and get the victory. Altogether they shot just 44.8% from the floor and was only nine of 13 from the free throw line, but they managed to turn the ball only eight times and blocked five shots. Niagara, on the other hand, shot 41% from the floor and just an abysmal 5 of 17 from 3 point range.
This team is very capable of winning these kinds of games no matter the opponent. Niagara is no slouch as it pertains to conference play either. After Iona, Rider, and Siena, Niagara is 9-6 in conference play and is very much in the running for a chance to be on upset alert. This is a group that can win at any level and do it in a myriad of ways. This team averages 6.1 blocks per game and also accounts for 7.6 steals a game. Not many teams have the complete arsenal of offense and defense especially when the lower conferences don't really have this kind of deal.
Iona will not take Manhattan for granted, as the jaspers have won three of their last four and are entering this game after a 68-52 victory over the lovely folks at Saint Peters. You all remember them. Manhattan is charging near the top half of the conference so there's still a chance for them to finish this regular season strong. But Manhattan does have and overtime victory over Siena after beating Canisius last time out, and then eventually beating Saint Peters.
But Iona is just so deep and so balanced that it's gonna be hard for any team to figure out how to knock this group off especially at home.
Prediction
This one should not be an issue. And if Iona finds a way to lose this game then I have no idea what's going on in these lower tier conferences and college basketball. Give me Iona in a runaway victory. Iona 85, Manhattan 65
Betting trends
Manhattan is 111-74 ATS after a combined score of 125 points or less since 1997.
Iona is 35-29 ATS as a favorite the last 3 seasons.
Iona is 5-1 ATS after 2 straight covers as a favorite this season.
Projected starting lineup
Manhattan:
PG: Ant Nelson
SG: Nick Brennen
SF: Logan Padgett
PF: Marques Watson
C: Josh Roberts
Iona:
PG: Walter Clayton Jr.
SG: Daniss Jenkins
SF: Berrick JeanLouis
PF: Nelly Joseph
C: Osborn Shema
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Manhattan - Iona prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college basketball projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
