The Northern Iowa Panthers will hit the floor running against the visiting St. Mary's Gaels Sunday, looking to improve their record and boost wagering bankrolls in the process.

Northern Iowa battles the Gaels, currently sitting with a 8-2 mark (5-3 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 4-4 for the Panthers and 4-2 for the Gaels.



View St Marys vs Northern Iowa Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks (including Sportsbook) had the Panthers installed as 2-point underdogs in this particular matchup earlier in the day. Also, watch for the Sportsbook over-under value at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Panthers rated this week at No. 106 and the Gaels sitting at No. 193. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 86-76 result in favor of the Gaels.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Northern Iowa's No. 144 nationally ranked offense (69.5 points per game) against a Gaels defense that sits as the No. 157 at 65.2 PPG. The Panthers have been averaging 44.1% from the field, less than the Gaels have managed so far this season (50.8% on average).

Defensively, St. Mary's features the nation's No. 92-rated defense on the road, allowing 65.3 points per game. Northern Iowa, meanwhile, comes in at No. 116 nationally in scoring at home.




St. Mary's Gaels Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
Before playing Rhode Island are 1-0
After playing Pacific are 3-2
After a win are 8-2

Northern Iowa Panthers Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Wichita State are 7-3
After playing UNLV are 1-0
After a loss are 5-5

A few Gaels at Panthers trends to consider:
St. Mary's is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Northern Iowa is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
Northern Iowa is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games


Next up:
St. Mary's home to Rhode Island, Thursday, December 27
Northern Iowa at Wichita State, Sunday, December 30