COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Lehigh enters with a 1-2 start, scoring 64.3 points per game while allowing 73.6, with a field goal mark of 36.6% and a three-point mark of 25.8%. The Mountain Hawks also rebound at 34.7 per game, and their KenPom profile shows a defense that has been a little more stable than the offense, with an adjusted defensive rating of 106.5 and a slightly stronger strength-of-schedule profile than Marist. Marist also sits at 1-2, but its box-score profile is more efficient on the offensive end, with 70.3 points per game, 43.3% shooting, and 38.2% from deep. The issue is that its schedule strength has been much softer, which makes those early shooting numbers harder to trust as a true baseline. Defensively, Marist has been similar to Lehigh on paper, but the Red Foxes have not shown enough of an edge elsewhere to offset the home-court swing and the market’s current lean toward Lehigh.
Lehigh is the side with value here, with the home team projected to outlast Marist 81-75. Marist has the cleaner shooting numbers, but Lehigh’s home floor, rebounding edge, and stronger schedule context make the Mountain Hawks the better moneyline position at the current market level. The game projects to stay competitive, but Lehigh should have enough late to finish ahead.