Canisius (+ 8 1/2) at Rider, 7 p.m.
The Pick: Canisius (+8 1/2)
Rider’s stranglehold on the MAAC has vanished thanks to two straight losses and three setbacks in its last four games. The Broncs (12-10, 7-3) enter Friday night’s game against the Golden Griffins (9-13) tied with Monmouth (8-4 in MAAC) for the top spot and only one game ahead of Siena, Quinnipiac and the Griffs, who are all 6-4.
The good news for the Broncs is they never lose at Alumni Gym. They have won 17 straight in front of the home crowd. The bad news is the last school to win there was Canisius almost exactly two years ago (Feb. 17, 2017). The real good news for bettors is the Broncs don’t cover at home.
Rider is 6-16 against the spread this season, 1-6 at home against the spread this season and 2-8 in their last 10 home games against the spread. Now the Broncs face a Griffins squad that is 6-4 on the road — the only MAAC team with a winning road record — and is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven road games.
Here’s one more little trend for you, the road team is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings of this MAAC rivalry.
Rider could, and should, win this one at home. But the 8 1/2 points are just too much for a team that doesn’t know how to cover a spread.