Can Merrimack Repeat As NEC Tournament Champions?
The 2024 Northeast Conference Odds Favors Merrimack and Central Connecticut
Merrimack Looks to Be First Repeat Champ in NEC Since 2013
The good news when it comes to the Northeast Conference tournament is that the winner of the tournament will be eligible for the NCAA tournament. That was not the case a season ago when Merrimack was still in the probational period as it transitioned from the Division II level. The 2024 Northeast Conference odds favors Merrimack to make it back-to-back NEC tournament titles.
The tournament begins on Wednesday with the four quarterfinals, all hosted by the higher-seeded team. Central Connecticut State and Merrimack finished tied atop the NEC standings with 13-3 records but CCSU earned the top seed.
Stonehill, which finished last in the NEC with a 2-14 conference record, won’t be eligible for the NEC tournament until next season.
When it comes to the NCAAB predicted scores, top-seeded Central Connecticut State and defending champion Merrimack are the favorites to reach the title game.
Big Jump by the Blue Devils
Central Connecticut was the No. 6 seed in last year’s tournament and fell to Saint Francis in the quarterfinals.
Fairfield transfer Allan Jeanne-Rose has made an immediate impact, leading Central Connecticut State in scoring.
Coker University transfer Jordan Jones was another key addition as the Blue Devils will have home-court advantage for as long as they are alive in the tournament.
Central Connecticut State is 10-3 at home this season with six consecutive home wins since a 75-70 loss to LeMoyne.
The Blue Devils, priced at +160 to win the NEC tournament according to the 2024 Northeast Conference odds, are looking to win the tournament for the first time since 2007.
The Blue Devils also lead the NEC with a 17-10 record against the college basketball odds this season. However, Central Connecticut State is just 4-5 against the spread as a home favorite.
What About the Defending Champions?
Merrimack squandered its chance to clinch the top seed in the tournament with a road loss to Sacred Heart in the regular-season finale.
Merrimack has won 10 straight games before the 89-85 loss to the Pioneers.
The top two scorers are sophomore Jordan Dercack as he has gone from averaging 7.4 points as a freshman to 17.7 points this NCAAB season and freshman Adam Clark.
Merrimack is 11-1 at home this season but just 7-9 on the road so that loss could prove costly if the Warriors need to head to Central Connecticut for the championship game.
The 2024 Northeast Conference odds have Merrimack at +120 to win the NEC title.
A Look At the Schedule
Things get underway on Wednesday when the top-seeded CCSU Blue Devils play host to Saint Francis (PA) in one of the four quarterfinals.
Merrimack faces Long Island, Wagner is at Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson plays at LeMoyne.
The NCAAB teams will be reseeded after the quarterfinals with the semifinals set for Saturday at the sites of the higher seed.
Barring any upsets, it would be LeMoyne playing at CCSU and Sacred Heart traveling to meet Merrimack in the semifinals. LeMoyne comes in at +900 in the NEC championship odds with Sacred Heart priced at +750 to win the NEC tournament for the first time.
The NCAAB championship game is on Mar. 12 at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2.
Feeling the Pressure
When looking at the college basketball rankings, only the MEAC has a lower conference RPI than the Northeast Conference so it is clear that the only team from the Northeast Conference that will earn an invitation into the March Madness bracket will be the tournament champion.
Merrimack has the best NCAA NET ranking among Northeast Conference teams with the Warriors coming in at No. 197. Central Connecticut is 234rd in the NET rankings with No. 285 Sacred Heart the only other NEC team in the top 300 so it is quite possible that the winner of this tournament will be a No. 16 seed.
That worked out rather well in the 2023 March Madness bracket as Fairleigh Dickinson, getting into the tournament because the NEC declared its champion Merrimack ineligible to represent the conference in the 2023 NCAA tournament, make quite the splash with a win over No. 1 Purdue.
It would have taken quite a bit of searching to find odds to win March Madness for teams from the Northeast Conference. Coming into the season, Sacred Heart had the best odds at +225 to win the NEC title followed by Wagner at +325, Fairleigh Dickinson at +400, Merrimack at +500, and Central Connecticut State at +750.
Wagner is now at +2000 in the odds of winning the Northeast Conference tournament. That is followed by Fairleigh Dickinson at +4000 while Long Island and Saint Francis are both priced at +10000 to win the conference title.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
