The Army Black Knights (5-4) and NJIT Highlanders (5-3) face off in a nonconference college basketball matchup on Friday night. The Black Knights snapped their two-game losing streak and beat Purchase College 97-40 on Dec. 7. The Highlanders are on a three-game win streak and have eyes set on extending it to four. They are fresh off a double-overtime win against Lafayette. The Highlanders beat the Leopards 90-86.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET from NJIT Wellness and Events Center. The Highlanders are 2.5-point favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 135.5 in the latest Army vs. NJIT odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before locking in any NJIT vs. Army picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Army vs. NJIT. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and betting trends for NJIT vs. Army:
- Army vs. NJIT spread: NJIT -2.5
- Army vs. NJIT over-under: 135.5 points
- ARMY: Black Knights are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five Friday games
- NJIT: Highlanders are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall
Why Army can cover
Sophomore guard Jalen Rucker is averaging a team-high 16 points with 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Rucker has scored at least 11 points in seven games this year, including five straight. His best outing came in a win against Hartford. He put up 29 points, three rebounds, and four assists. The Maryland native was on fire from three, shooting 8 of 11 from 3-point land.
Senior guard Josh Caldwell is second on the squad with 12.7 points to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals. Caldwell also had a great performance against Hartford, where he filled the stat sheet. He had 24 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The South Carolina native has swiped at least two steals in five contests thus far.
Why NJIT can cover
NJIT is currently on a three-game win streak. The Highlanders pulled out a 90-86 double-overtime victory against Lafayette. There were three players who scored in double figures for the Highlanders. This victory was headlined by senior guard Dylan O’Hearn, who had a terrific game. He put up a season-high 42 points, seven rebounds and three steals. O’Hearn shot 12 of 24 from the field and 5 of 11 from 3-point land.
Sophomore guard Mekhi Gray tallied 11 points, six boards, and two steals. Graduate student forward Matt Faw finished with a near double-double. Faw had 10 points, nine rebounds with three steals. The Highlanders forced the Leopards to commit 15 turnovers which led to 13 points.
