Loyola Maryland vs Colgate – Odds & Picks for Patriot League Championship Game
- The No. 2 seed Colgate Raiders host the No. 9 seed Loyola Maryland Greyhounds in the Patriot League Tournament championship game
- Loyola (MD) beat No. 1 seed Navy 76-68 in the quarterfinals on its way to the title game
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup
The No. 2 seed Colgate Raiders (13-1, 11-1 Patriot), whose only loss this season was a 75-73 home defeat to Army on January 3, host the No. 9 seed Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (6-10, 4-10 Patriot) in the Patriot League Tournament championship game Sunday, March 14 in Hamilton, New York.
Tip is set for noon ET at Cotterell Court.
Colgate enters the contest with the second-highest scoring offense in the country, behind only Gonzaga, and fourth-best scoring margin. The Raiders put up 86.4 points per game and outscore opponents by an average of 18 per contest.
Now, Matt Langel’s squad will try to reach consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in 25 years as heavy favorites over the Greyhounds.
Loyola Maryland vs Colgate Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Maryland | +10 (-116) | N/A | Ov 147.5 (-110) |
| Colgate | -10 (-106) | N/A | Un 147.5 (-110) |
Odds as of March 13 at FanDuel. Stay up to date with the latest on Maryland online sports betting.
- DraftKings Sportsbook Maryland
- BetMGM Maryland
- Barstool Sportsbook Maryland
- FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland
- Caesars Sportsbook Maryland
Approaching Midnight?
Will the slipper still fit Tavaras Hardy’s squad Saturday? His Greyhounds have already enjoyed a Cinderella run in the conference tourney. Loyola benefited from a Holy Cross forfeit following a positive COVID test within the Crusaders’ program in the first round. Then, the team upset the academies — first eliminating the Midshipmen in the quarters followed by Army 67-63 in the semis.
Santi Aldama scored a career-high 33 points in the four-point victory over the Black Knights, going 13-for-15 from the field. The performance was a league record for made shots in a semifinal game, that also included going 5-of-6 from three-point range and 12 rebounds.
Santi Aldama ending up in the Pat League is one of the funniest things to me. He’s like…staggeringly better than everyone in this league. The way he moves the ball, makes decisions quicker than everyone, the fully-formed, all-around skillset. Just all of it.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 6, 2021
The sophomore forward is one of only two players in the country to average at least 20 points (21.8) and 10 rebounds (10.3) per game, joining Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor, And the sophomore from the Canary Islands is the only player this season to average more than 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists and 1.5 blocks per game. He’s the kind of player that can — and has — give better teams fits.
The ‘Hounds started their conference-only slate by losing seven of their first eight games. But Hardy’s team has gone 5-3 since, including the pair of impressive wins — both on the road — in the tourney.
With Aldama on their side, anything is possible.
Colgate Cresting
Keegan Records set a career-high 21 points, Jordan Burns had 18 (and seven assists), Nelly Cummmings scored 14 and Jack Ferguson finished with 12 in Colgate’s 105-75 semifinal win over Bucknell.
Langel’s team has won both contests this season when scoring at least 100 points, with Wednesday’s effort being a season high. Now, the highest-rated squad (No. 83) according to KenPom in the Patriot by leaps and bounds (Navy is the next highest at No. 160) is back home Sunday trying to do something that hasn’t been since former NBA veteran Adonal Foyle was in a Raider uniform.
Weekend MOOD! #GoGate pic.twitter.com/zl6JLqf5r7
— Colgate Men's Basketball (@ColgateMBB) March 13, 2021
Colgate is one of the elite programs in the country from an offensive efficiency standpoint. The Raiders rank eighth in effective offensive field-goal percentage (56.5%), fifth in offensive turnover percentage (13.9%) and ninth in offensive non-steal turnover percentage (6.8%). For a Patriot League team to be in the top-10 of any category on KenPom is impressive. For one to be in three is truly special.
The Raiders are led by a trio of seniors: Burns (the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 points per game), Cummings and Ferguson. That group is in familiar territory.
Are You Experienced?
Colgate has done something this season even Foyle, who took the program to three straight tourney title games, didn’t do.
No team in Patriot League history has made four straight championship games.
Until now.
Sights and sounds from another fun night in Hamilton. More work to do! ⤵️#GoGate pic.twitter.com/oMlZxraDEu
— Colgate Men's Basketball (@ColgateMBB) March 12, 2021
On the flip side, this is Loyola’s first-ever appearance in the Patriot League championship. The program is seeking its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012, when it won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title.
As for the series, Sunday’s game marks the 17th time overall the teams have played, with the Raiders owning a 10-6 mark against the ‘Hounds all-time. The program have split each of the last two regular-season series, each wining on its own home floor both years. The schools did not face each other during the the past regular season.
This one boils down to elite player vs. elite team. Can Aldama take over one more game and carry Loyola on his back? Or will Colgate’s overall roster talent be too much for the Spaniard to overcome? The home team feels like the safer play here.
The pick: Colgate -10
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.
