Many eyes in the college basketball world will be on Gallagher Center Thursday as host Niagara looks to handle the Rider Broncs in NCAA hoops action.

Niagara will face the 16-13 Broncs, who own a 16-11 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Purple Eagles are 9-10-2 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Broncs are 7-16 favoring the OVER.



View Rider vs Niagara Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with Niagara in this one found them as 7.5-point favorites earlier in the day. Watch for line moves and updates at Sportsbook before gametime.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Purple Eagles rated this week at No. 173 and the Broncs sitting at No. 149. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 71-69 result in favor of the Purple Eagles.



How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Niagara's No. 33-ranked scoring average of 74.4 PPG, against a Broncs defense rated No. 115 and allowing 64.1 PPG. The Purple Eagles FG% has averaged 42.5% to date this season, less than the Broncs shooters have managed so far (43.7% per game).

Defensively, Rider features the nation's No. 138-rated defense on the road, allowing 67.8 points per game. Niagara, meanwhile, comes in at No. 21 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Rider was a 61-54 Sportsbook at home against Charleston Southern. They covered the 1.5-point spread as favorites. Rider got 15 points from Jonathon Thompson en route to a 61-54 victory over Charleston Southern on Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium.

Last time out for Niagara, they were a 92-76 Sportsbook as they battled Northwestern State at home. They covered in the match as a 4-point favorite. The Purple Eagles grabbed a 92-76 win over the Demons on Saturday, behind a 20-point effort from Antoine Mason at Gallagher Center.


Rider Broncs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Canisius are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

Niagara Purple Eagles Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Saint Peter's are 5-5
After a win are 8-2

A few Broncs at Purple Eagles trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rider's last 6 games when playing on the road against Niagara
Rider is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Rider is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Niagara
Niagara is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Rider
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Niagara's last 6 games when playing at home against Rider
Niagara is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Niagara's last 5 games


Next up:
Rider at Canisius, Saturday, March 2
Niagara home to Saint Peter's, Saturday, March 2