CAA Championship Game Odds: Hofstra Favored By Just 1.5 Points Over Northeastern

• Hofstra and Northeastern meet in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Championship Game on Tuesday (March 10, 7 p.m. ET)
• The game between the top-two tourney favorites is a rematch of last year’s CAA title game, that saw the Huskies beat the Pride
• See below for a preview and betting prediction

The top-seeded Hofstra Pride (25-8, 14-4 CAA) will meet the No. 6-seeded Northeastern Huskies (17-15, 9-9 CAA) in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Championship game on Tuesday (March 10, 7 p.m. ET) in Washington, D.C.

Hofstra was the favorite coming into the CAA tourney at +190, while NU was the second-favorite at +375 despite their seeding – so things have played out exactly as the oddsmakers thought they would. The game is a rematch of last year’s title tilt, won by Northeastern.

The Pride is looking for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001, while NU is looking to reach the Big Dance in back-to-back seasons

Hofstra Pride vs. Northeastern Huskies Odds

Odds taken March 10th

CAA Tournament Bracket

Hofstra entered the CAA tourney as the favorite and won its first two games in business-like fashion over Drexel and Delaware.

Northeastern got to this point by knocking off Towson and Elon. Neither one of these teams has figured in the National Championship odds all season.

Now, the Pride – which won the regular season for a second straight year in 2019-20 – will play the Huskies for a second straight time in the tournament championship game. NU spoiled Hofstra’s Big Dance bid last year. Can Hofstra avenge the loss this season? Or will Northeastern play spoiler again? Let’s track each team’s path to this point and make a pick.

Hot Hofstra

The Pride were the CAA tournament favorites for a reason. Winners of nine of its last ten games coming in, Joe Mihalich’s team handled the Dragons in the tourney quarterfinals Saturday and beat the Blue Hens 75-61 Monday to reach the championship game.

Hofstra was lights out from beyond the arc in the first half Monday, shooting 60-percent from downtown. That performance, aided by Eli Pemberton’s game-high 24 points (including 5-of-8 from three-point range) moved the Pride to 25-8 on the season.

This team is playing on all cylinders right now and is the clear class of the conference. The Pride look great heading into the tourney title game.

Husky Magic

We’ve seen this movie before though. Just last season, as a matter of fact. Hofstra entered the 2019 CAA Tournament Championship Game with a 27-6 record – but then lost to Northeastern 82-74 with an NCAA Tournament automatic bid on the line.

The stunning loss sent Hofstra to the NIT, in which they lost in the to North Carolina State in the opening round. Meanwhile, the win earned the Huskies a ticket to the NCAA, where they lost to Kansas in the First Round.

Northeastern got to this point this season by taking care of Towson and Elon.

NU simply takes it to another level come conference tourney time. This will be the program’s fifth tourney championship game appearance since 2013, having cut down the nets in 2015 and last year. KenPom rates the Huskies second in the Colonial behind Hofstra (No. 140 vs. No. 109), so this title matchup was a predictable one. But when you mix in the intangibles, I’m fading the Husky Magic in 2020.

Hempstead Hype

I love the Pride in this spot. They swept the Huskies in the regular season in a pair of close outcomes. And, yes, it’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. But the Tuesday’s CAA championship game provides Hofstra with a chance to avenge last season’s title game loss and go dancing for the first time in nearly two decades. I’m buying the Hempstead hype and rolling with Hofstra.

Pick: Hofstra -1.5 (-115)