The Merrimack Warriors take on the Princeton Tigers on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Princeton is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -170. The total is set at 134.5 points.
Here’s my Merrimack vs. Princeton prediction and college basketball picks for December 10, 2025.
Merrimack vs Princeton Prediction
My Pick: Under 134.5 or Better
My Merrimack vs Princeton best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Merrimack vs. Princeton Odds
| Merrimack Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -118 | 134.5 -115 / -105 | +142 |
| Princeton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -102 | 134.5 -115 / -105 | -170 |
- Merrimack vs Princeton spread: Princeton -3.5
- Merrimack vs Princeton over/under: 134.5 points
- Merrimack vs Princeton moneyline: Merrimack +142, Princeton -170
Merrimack vs Princeton College Basketball Betting Preview
If you love ugly basketball, this matchup is for you.
Princeton and Merrimack both want to play in the half-court, both grind possessions into dust and both have had some rough scoring nights to open the season.
When you put two slow offenses and two defenses that disrupt what their opponent wants to do, you usually get an ugly offensive matchup.
Let’s start with pace, because it’s the headliner here.
Princeton ranks 322nd nationally in average possession length, and Merrimack somehow manages to go even slower, at 18.9 seconds.
Neither team is looking for early offense. Instead, both want to shorten the game, probe and run the clock deep.
And the offensive efficiency? It gets even uglier.
Princeton ranks 298th nationally, while Merrimack ranks 280th. These are bottom-tier units.
Both offenses rank outside the top-285 nationally in effective field goal percentage. Neither team creates high-percentage looks and neither team finishes well.
There’s also the turnover problem.
Princeton coughs the ball up on 19% of its possessions (bottom 100 nationally). At the same time, Joe Gallo’s morphing 3-2 (more like a 4-1) zone is built to pressure the ball, forcing turnovers at a 21% clip (top-60 nationally).
Merrimack’s offense isn’t exactly built to exploit Princeton’s defense. The Warriors shoot just 46% from inside the arc and are among the worst offensive rebounding units in the country.
Princeton’s defense doesn’t need to be elite when Merrimack is already struggling to create clean looks or second-chance points. Princeton also holds opponents to 31.1% from 3, which matters when Merrimack’s shot profile leans heavily toward the perimeter.
What you’re betting on is game script. Neither team is going to speed up this game or consistently get easy buckets. Both teams shoot free throws below average, most notably Princeton, which is shooting 67% from the line. Merrimack isn't awful at the line, but it doesn't get there anyway.
This projects as a slow, choppy, lower-possession game that features long stretches of scoring droughts.
My Pick: Under 134.5 or Better
