Saint Peter's Peacocks vs NJIT Highlanders Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 2

Both teams are 0-2. NJIT scored 58 and 49 in two road losses and comes home still looking for an offense, and Saint Peter's, the better team last season, is laying 1.5 in a game totaled at 131.5.

The Matchup

Saint Peter's visits NJIT on Sunday afternoon at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in Newark, on ESPN+, with Saint Peter's a 1.5-point favorite, a total of 131.5, and the Peacocks priced at -118 on the moneyline against NJIT at -102. Both teams are 0-2, and the short ride between Jersey City and Newark is where one of them gets its first win.

Saint Peter's lost 66-42 at Seton Hall and lost 58-55 at home to Binghamton, with Bryce Eaton scoring 34 points with 10 rebounds and 8 assists across the two games and Xavier Thomas adding 18 points and 11 rebounds. NJIT lost 89-58 at Dayton and 72-49 at Iona, scoring 53.5 points a game, with Victor Vanderstraeten scoring 20 points and Matheo Coffi 17 across the two games. Last season, across the full season, Saint Peter's finished 17-12, scoring 70.8 points a game and allowing 68.4, and NJIT finished 16-17, scoring 67.0 and allowing 73.2. Those are last season's numbers: the Peacocks were the better team, built on defense, while NJIT's veteran group has turned over, and nothing in the Highlanders' first week says the new group can score yet.

Key Factors

Scoring is the whole game. NJIT has produced 58 and 49 points, and Saint Peter's defense is built for exactly this kind of low-possession fight: the Peacocks allowed 62 points a game across their two losses, against NJIT's 80.5 allowed. Eaton gives Saint Peter's the one guard in this game who creates his own shot and shots for Thomas inside, and in a game totaled at 131.5, the team with the reliable creator usually owns the last five minutes.

The counterpoint is Saint Peter's own offense, which scored 42 at Seton Hall and 55 against Binghamton, so laying points with the Peacocks asks their defense to do nearly all the work. NJIT is home for the first time, Vanderstraeten and Coffi can hold their own inside, and a desperate home team in a rivalry-distance game can drag this into a coin flip. The bet is that NJIT's offense, which has shown nothing yet, does not find itself in one afternoon against the better defensive team.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.