The Boston University Terriers take on the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the Patriot League Tournament Championship in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, March 11. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Boston University is favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -125. Lehigh, meanwhile, enters as a +1.5 underdog and is +105 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 141.5 total points.
Here’s my Boston University vs. Lehigh prediction and college basketball picks for Wednesday, March 11.
Boston University vs Lehigh Prediction
My Pick: Lehigh +1.5 (Play to -2)
My Boston University vs Lehigh best bet is on the Mountain Hawks to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Boston University vs. Lehigh Odds
| Boston University Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | -125 |
| Lehigh Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | +105 |
- Boston University vs Lehigh Spread: Boston University -1.5, Lehigh +1.5
- Boston University vs Lehigh Over/Under: 139.5 Points
- Boston University vs Lehigh Moneyline: Boston University -125, Lehigh +105
Boston University vs Lehigh College Basketball Betting Preview
The Patriot League is a throwback to college sports of decades gone by. A conference that's actually built out of teams located near each other, with longstanding rivalries and tons of cultural similarities? Those are novel concepts these days.
It always makes the Patriot League Tournament one worth watching, with plenty of fireworks already this March (more on that in a moment).
The tournament has led to two teams that haven't danced in a decade playing for a chance to face the big dogs.
Lehigh and Boston University already faced off twice this season, with Lehigh winning both games by a single possession. At BU, Lehigh hit a 3 with seconds left to send the game to overtime and free throws in the final moments to win by two.
Fingers crossed we have another classic on our hands Wednesday night.
Boston University Basketball
The Terriers are back in the Patriot League title game for just the second time in a decade.
Boston University fans have been clamoring for another chance at the conference crown after the program's last win, a triumphant upset of Colgate in 2020, happened just days before the COVID pandemic shut the world down.
Boston U has not played in the NCAA Tournament since 2011.
Even making it this far took a minor miracle. After winning in the quarterfinals by just two points, BU was matched in the semifinals with Navy. The Midshipmen have dominated the Patriot League this season, posting a 17-1 record, including two wins over BU.
In a pressure-packed moment, Navy guard and Patriot League Player of the Year Austin Benigni hit a floating layup to take the lead with just three seconds left before BU freshman Chance Gladden hit a behind-the-back dribble into a game-winner from nearly half-court.
The Terriers arrived in the title game courtesy of an efficient offense built on the long ball. Boston University shot over 40% from deep as a team in conference play and posted a top-10 3-point shooting percentage in the country this season.
Michael McNair has made 45% of his 230 attempts this season, with Azmar Abdullah adding 39% on 153 attempts. That's an absolute barrage that teams are ill-prepared to stop.
That shooting clears space for Gladden to drive or 7-footer Ben Defty to operate on the interior.
Defense has been more of a struggle. BU ranks 345th on that end of the floor and ranked in the bottom five nationally in turnovers forced per game.
Lehigh Basketball
Lehigh has an old-fashioned team, returning over half its minutes from last season (20th-most in the country) after ranking in the top 40 in that stat a year prior.
This is a team that has tons of experience playing together. No one has benefitted more from that level of comfort than Nasir Whitlock, who led the Patriot League in scoring at 21.1 points per game.
He topped 30 points eight times this season, including both meetings with BU.
Whitlock had the second-highest usage rate in the conference, while making 45% from deep this season (and 49% in league play). He is a game-changing guard who stirs the offense for the Mountain Hawks.
Defensively, long-time coach Brett Reed has his team dedicated to running shooters off the 3-point line. Lehigh ranked 12th in the country in lowest 3-point rate allowed, per KenPom, and easily led the Patriot League in that stat.
BU averages 10 makes on 24 attempts per game this year. In two meetings with Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks held BU to just 13 makes on 37 attempts, including a game with an overtime period.
Boston University vs Lehigh Pick, Betting Analysis
There are three reasons I like higher-seeded Lehigh to win this game.
First, so much of Boston University's offense is built to find open 3s. Lehigh is dedicated to stopping shooters or contesting shots. It wants BU shooting in the midrange or at the rim over shot-blocker Hank Alvey.
Second, BU has had two chances to face Whitlock this season. At home, he dropped 30 points and four assists. On the road, he dropped 30 points and four assists. The evidence at hand says he's the player who will most likely decide this game, and I'm happy to ride with him.
Lastly, Lehigh gets to host this game on campus. The Mountain Hawks were 12-4 against the spread at home this year and 6-1 this season as a home favorite.
I'm actually shocked to learn BU is favored ahead of this game and will gladly grab those points before it flips.
Lehigh has been the better team all year, has the best player in the game and plays at home. I'm riding with the Mountain Hawks.
My Pick: Lehigh +1.5 (Play to -2)
