Northeast Conference Tournament Championship Game: Preview, odds, how to watch, more

The NCAA Tournament looms as conference tournaments start wrapping up. The final for the Northeast Conference Tournament will take place on Tuesday, March 8th as Wagner takes on Bryant. The winner of this game will not only win the conference tournament and the bragging rights that come with it, but they will also get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off for this game will be at 7:00 p.m. ET and it will air on ESPN2.

No. 2 Wagner: 22-5 record (13-3 NEC), 120th NET, 127th Ken Pom

Wagner wasted little time in the semifinals showing that they were going to be in the championship. They took down Long Island-Brooklyn by a score of 82-62. They finished with 13 conference wins, with one of those coming against Bryant. They played Bryant twice in the regular season and won the first meeting in January by three points with the game going into overtime. The teams met again on February 26th, but Bryant got the better of Wagner by a score of 78-70. Wagner has never won the Northeast Conference Tournament and the last time they were in the championship game was in 2018.

No. 1 Bryant: 22-9 record (15-2 NEC), 215th NET, 204th Ken Pom

Bryant finished as the top dogs in the conference with a 22-9 overall record with 15 of those wins coming against conference opponents. They had a close call in the semifinals against Mount St. Mary’s as they barely eeked out a 70-69 victory. Bryant has won six games in a row and if they make it a seventh, they have a spot in the NCAA tournament. Bryant was in the championship game in 2021, but they lost 73-68 to Mount St. Mary’s. They have never won the Northeast Conference Tournament.

How to watch the NEC Tournament Championship Game

When: Tuesday, March 8th, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Smithfield, Rhode Island
TV: ESPN2
Livestream: WatchESPN, ESPN app

Odds for NEC Tournament Championship Game from DraftKings Sportsbook:

Point spread: Bryant -4
Moneyline odds: Wagner +155, Bryant -180
Total: 149.5

Odds for both teams at DraftKings Sportsbook before tournament

Bryant: +125
Wagner: +125

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.