Saint Francis Red Flash Favored to Win 2019 Northeast Conference Tournament

• St. Francis PA earned the #1 seed in Northeast Conference Tournament.
• FDU, Sacred Heart are the biggest threats to Saint Francis’ bid for its first title since 1991.
• The LIU Blackbirds can’t be written off after winning four titles in past eight years.

Saint Francis PA will be looking to reverse a late-season swoon that resulted in straight-up losses in two of the squad’s final three contests . But despite their recent struggles, the Red Flash return to action against the Bryant Bulldogs today (4:00 PM) perched as favorites to claim their first Northeast Conference Tournament title since 1991, sporting short +140 odds.

Odds to Win 2019 Northeast Conference Tournament

Red Flash Ride the Rollercoaster in 2018-2019

It has been a rollercoaster season for the Red Flash, who opened the campaign on a worrisome 7-11 SU run before returning to contention with an eight-game win streak against conference opponents.

The Red Flash … opened the campaign on a worrisome 7-11 SU run before returning to contention with an eight-game win streak against conference opponents.

The Red Flash enjoy a favorable matchup in their tournament opener as they take on the Bryant Bulldogs on Wednesday evening as strong 7.5-point home chalk. Saint Francis has largely dominated the Bulldogs in recent clashes, claiming victory in eight of 10 contests, including a decisive 84-75 victory on February 9 as 8-point home favorites.

Northeast Conference Tournament preview: Saint Francis PA looks to dance for the first time since 1991 https://t.co/wU8Qb8a8UJ via @mid_madness

— Northeast Conference (@NECsports) March 6, 2019

Despite finishing 8th in the 10-team conference, Bryant is actually the lowest-ranked team in the conference at KenPom, sitting 329th out of 353 Division I teams.

However, after Bryant, St. Francis’ road to the NCAA Tournament gets decidedly tougher. The Red Flash will likely have to get past a pair of red-hot rivals that also closely trail them in the tournament championship odds.

Knights Heating Up at the Right Time

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights have gotten hot at the right time, closing out their schedule with a lopsided 70-58 win over Central Connecticut State as 4.5-point road chalk to extend their current win streak to five games and pull even with the Red Flash atop the Northeast Conference standings at 12-6.

We will play at Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night in the @NECsports quarterfinal game! https://t.co/a6SDSvuGb5

— Wagner Men's Basketball (@Wagner_MBB) March 2, 2019

The Knights have been rewarded with solid +200 odds to claim their first March Madness berth in three years. They will have history on their side should they eventually meet the Red Flash in this year’s tournament. FDU handed Saint Francis a pair of crushing losses while pegged as road underdogs in its past two trips to Pennsylvania, but saw the tables turned in mid-February, when the Red Flash marched to an 87-62 win at Rothman Center as 3.5-point underdogs.

History Not on Pioneers’ Side

The Sacred Heart Pioneers also enter tournament play on a high after closing out their schedule with three straight wins by double-digit margins to finish with an 11-7 record, one game back of the St. Francis and FDU.

The Pioneers has been snake bitten in road dates with Saint Francis in recent years

But unlike the Knights, the Pioneers enjoy neither the benefit of history nor a strong record on the road this season. Sacred Heart opened a lot of eyes with their 94-84 rout of the Red Flash as 3-point home favorites on March 2, but has been snake bitten in road dates with Saint Francis in recent years, losing by a single point on three occasions while losing six of seven at Degol Arena.

#StatTuesday | The Pioneers are the only NEC team to have 5️⃣ players earn All-NEC honors. Our five just so happens to be our usual starters ?#WeAreSHU pic.twitter.com/MqF9S0GIkV

— Sacred Heart University Men's Basketball (@SHU_MensHoops) March 5, 2019

The Pioneers have also been far from a reliable bet on the road this season, posting consecutive wins just once while going 4-14 SU dating back to last February, a run they must reverse if they are to claim their first-ever Northeast Conference Tournament title and first March Madness berth in 30 years.

Don’t Underestimate the Blackbirds

These days, it is unwise to count out the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds, who at an intriguing +1800 to repeat as conference tournament champions.

BLACKBIRDS WIN!!! LIU beats Bryant, 81-65, led by Jashaun Agosto's career-high 28 points! The Blackbirds will be the No.6 seed in the #NEC19 tournament, and will travel to take on No. 3 Sacred Heart, Wednesday, March 9! #1F1F #blackbirdnation pic.twitter.com/pMrTOfy1cz

— LIU Basketball (@LIUBasketball) March 2, 2019

Consistency has been a massive challenge this season for the Blackbirds, who endured a discouraging 23-game run without consecutive SU wins after opening the season on a 3-0 tear.

But LIU has suddenly turned the corner with three straight victories, including a stunning 69-66 upset of the Red Flash as 5.5-point road underdogs just two weeks ago. They bring a wealth of experience into this year’s tournament after claiming the championship in four of the past eight years.