Hampton Pirates vs. Manhattan Jaspers Betting Line, March Madness Analysis, Pick
Mar 16, 2015
Manhattan's Emmy Andujar (13) brings the ball down court against Pittsburgh in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
The Manhattan Jaspers and Hampton Pirates will square off in the opener of the First Four Tuesday as a pair of No. 16 seeds in Dayton, with the winner facing the unenviable task of meeting the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA tournament Thursday.
Manhattan knocked off the top-seeded Iona Gaels 79-69 to win the MAAC tournament as a four-point underdog, while Hampton was a 1.5-point dog against the Delaware State Hornets but beat them 82-61 to win the MEAC tournament.
The Pirates were a perfect 6-0 ATS in lined games this season and are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since getting crushed by the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils 87-45 as 24.5-point underdogs in 2011.
Hampton was a No. 16 seed that year and remains most famous for pulling off one of seven biggest upsets of all-time as a No. 15 seed when the team stunned the second-seeded Iowa State Cyclones 58-57 as a 17.5-point underdog in 2001.
The Pirates also covered the spread as a 12.5-point dog against the UConn Huskies in 2002 when they were a No. 15 seed. Since suffering their last loss to the Norfolk State Spartans on March 5, they have won four in a row straight-up and ATS. Hampton had a difficult schedule early on, as the team got off to a 1-5 start with four of the losses coming away from home.
Why pick Manhattan to cover the spread
The Jaspers enter the NCAA tournament riding a four-game winning streak and covered the spread in each of their three matchups in the MAAC tourney. They have also won nine straight games when favored to go along with a 7-2 mark against the spread.
Last year as a No. 13 seed Manhattan played the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals tough in the NCAA tournament but ultimately fell short in a 71-64 loss, although the team still managed to easily cover as a 16-point underdog.
While the Jaspers are not as good as last year’s squad that won 25 games they still finished 13-7 in conference play and were able to keep Iona out of the Big Dance for the second year in a row by winning the MAAC tourney. This despite a 2-7 start to the season that saw them lose five on the road.
Smart betting pick
The Jaspers are the biggest favorite in the First Four, and with good reason. They were a higher seed last year and, despite losing to Louisville, gained confidence in that game by holding the lead with less than four minutes left.
That experience should help them if they are to face Kentucky in the next round, and they have also proven themselves in the favorite role with a nine-game winning streak under that scenario.
While the Pirates might look like a nice story as the only team in the 68-team field with a losing record, there is a big difference between winning the MAAC tourney and playing much better competition in the Big Dance. Look for Manhattan to get the job done and beat Hampton by double digits to cover the spread here.
