Mount St. Mary’s vs Canisius Prediction: Who Will Win This MAAC Tournament Game?

Mount St. Mary’s vs Canisius Prediction: Who Will Win This MAAC Tournament Game?

The Mount had a tough transition to the MAAC early in the season. After dominating the NEC for decades, it was time for Mount St. Mary’s to level up and join a better conference. Towards the end of the year, we saw the Mount start to play their brand of basketball, defense, and threes. Now facing Canisius for the third time this season, will the Mountaineers sweep the Golden Griffins and advance in the MAAC tournament?

Want our model's projections for every D1 college basketball game? Sign up for MyOC Premium now and get a 7-day FREE trial

Mount St. Mary’s vs Canisius Prediction

There is no doubt that the best player on the court tonight is Jalen Benjamin. He’s been cracked out recently, averaging 20 points per game over his last eight contests. It’s no coincidence that the Mount won five of these games, many as underdogs. When Benjamin is on, the Mount is tough to beat.

When these two teams played a few weeks back, Benjamin actually had one of his worst games of 2023. He was held to only eight shots in that contest. It was Dakota Leffew who dominated that game and carried the Mount to victory. The role players in Emmitsburg have stepped up immensely in the second half of conference play.

There is a reason Canisius has yet to beat the Mount this season. Their three-point defense is putrid. Canisius ranks 310th in defending the three ball, and Mount St. Mary’s is the best three-point shooting team in the MAAC. They’ve really struggled at limiting opportunities from deep, and even when Jalen Benjamin isn’t feeling it, the supporting cast has stepped up and made their shots. Nothing will change in this third meeting between these two squads; the Mount will have plenty of opportunities behind the arc.

This line opened up at a Pick ‘Em, which isn’t surprising considering these teams’ records and MAAC standings. Whoever wins this game tonight will be matched up against Iona, the best team in the conference. The Mount almost beat Iona the other day but blew a halftime lead. The Mountaineers know they can knock off the Gaels, just like St. Peter’s did last season. This Mount team is very similar to the Peacocks team from last year; they win with defense and can shoot the three-ball.

When Canisius played Iona this year, they got destroyed. There can't be much hope in the Griffins’ locker room, even if they pull off the upset against the Mount tonight. At this point in the season, effort and motivation are just as important to cap as skill. Canisius knows that their season ends in the next two days. The Mount still believes they can wreak havoc in this tournament. It seems like the sharps believe in the Mount as well, moving the line from a Pick ‘Em to MSM -2. Back the high-energy Mountaineers to beat Canisius for the third time this season.

Mount St. Mary’s vs Canisius Pick

Mount St. Mary’s ML (-130) Bet $100 to collect $176 DraktKings has the best odds; click here to bet

Mount St. Mary’s vs Canisius Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2023
• Start Time: 5:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN+