Elon vs Northeastern Picks and Odds
- The Northeastern Huskies (2-5), coming off a 75-52 win in their CAA opener, hosts the Elon Phoenix (3-2) again in the second game of their two-game series Sunday, Jan. 3 at noon ET
- The Huskies got 20 points from Jahmyl Telfort in the conference opener, while the Phoenix got 16 points from Hunter McIntosh in their first game since a Dec. 19 defeat to UNC Greensboro
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup
The Northeastern Huskies (2-5, 1-0 CAA) will try to start a Colonial Athletic Association win streak in the second part of a two-game weekend series against the Elon Phoenix (3-2, 0-1 CAA) Sunday, Jan. 3. Tip is set for noon ET inside the Cabot Center.
Head coach Bill Coen’s club snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday against Elon in its first win since beating UMass Dec. 13. In between the victories were losses to Syracuse, Georgia and a top-10 West Virginia program. The Huskies are led by preseason second-team All-CAA selection Tyson Walker, who is averaging 16 points and five assists per game.
Meanwhile, Mike Schrage’s squad lost for the second time in a row after winning its first three games. Those victories included a pair of Ws over Big South opponents High Point and Campbell. Now, the Huskies enter Sunday’s rematch as slight favorites against the Phoenix in Game No. 2.
Elon vs Northeastern Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elon | +6.5 (-110) | +240 | O 132.5 (-112) |
| Northeastern | -6.5 (-110) | -295 | U 132.5 (-108) |
Odds taken Jan. 3 at FanDuel
Anomaly or Reality?
Northeastern had lost four in a row prior to Saturday’s win over Elon, the program’s longest losing skid since a four-game stretch in the middle of conference play last season. The Huskies righted the ship in 2020 to get within a game of a second consecutive CAA Tournament title. But a 70-61 loss to Hofstra in the tourney championship dashed those hopes. But this is a program that isn’t use to losing.
The Huskies have finished above .500 five of the last six seasons, earning a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament during that stretch. The blowout victory Saturday begs the question: was that four-game stretch an anomaly or a new reality for Coen’s program?
The #HowlinHuskies finish the non-conference season with the 1️⃣7️⃣th-toughest schedule in the country per @espn BPI.
📸 by Dale Sparks, WVU Athletic Communications pic.twitter.com/OBmFX7hDD8
— Northeastern Men’s Basketball (@GoNUmbasketball) December 30, 2020
It would seem the former, especially since KenPom now has the Huskies rated as the second-best squad in the CAA (at No. 161) behind only Hofstra — the preseason pick to win the conference. Losing to the Orange, UGA and WVU is nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, those defeats may very well pay dividends during conference play, as the Huskies showed Saturday.
Phoenix Rising?
Either Hofstra or Northeastern has played in the conference title game in four of the last five seasons (with the two programs playing each other in the last two). They’re the clear class of the Colonial. But Elon’s nice start had fans wondering if this might be the year the Phoenix break though. That was until the team’s second-leading scorer, Jerald Gillens-Butler, went down with a season-ending ruptured Achilles injury against Campbell Dec. 16.
Oh my goodness @Jeraldbutler6 👀#Team108 #HeatRises🔥 pic.twitter.com/KPIZtLVYhZ
— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) December 16, 2020
Gillens-Butler had transferred to Elon from Butler in May 2019 and sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules. He put up 16 points and five rebounds a game before going down with the heartbreaking season-ender. At least he’s being optimistic.
I truly believe I will be millionaire one day
— JB (@Jeraldbutler6) December 22, 2020
After two games without him, it seems McIntosh can only do so much. The team’s leading scorer at 18 points per game and 2020 CAA Rookie of the Year is talented, but can he help Elon overcome the Gillens-Butler’s loss long-term? From a very small sample size, it would appear the answer is no.
Chemistry is Key
Walker and backcourt mate Jahmyl Telfort were teammates at the New Hampton School, near Northeastern’s Boston campus is neighboring New Hampshire.. Now, that chemistry is paying off for the Huskies. The 6-foot-7 Telfort is the group’s second-leading scorer (and only other player averaging in double-digits) at nearly 12 points per game. He led the way Saturday against the Phoenix.
This is an historically well-coached team that is ready to put its preseason schedule behind it in CAA play. And while Schrage has no doubt put in additional plays for McIntosh in the absence of Gillens-Butler — as was evidenced in the first meeting Saturday — I have doubts it will be enough on the road against an experienced squad that has already weather storms in the first month-plus of the 2020-21 season in Game No. 2
The pick: Northeastern -6.5 (-110)
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
