The No. 2 Fairfield Stags take on the No. 5 St. Peter’s Peacocks in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Game on Saturday, March 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup and a pick against the spread.
Fairfield: 22-11 (14-6 MAAC), 158 NET, 163 KenPom
The Stags reached the championship game after two very close calls in the quarterfinals and semifinals. They defeated Iona by five points and Marist by just four points to reach the title game. Fairfield has not won the MAAC Championship since 1997, and therefore has not reached the NCAA Tournament in nearly 30 years.
Fairfield defeated St. Peter’s twice during the MAAC regular season, once by 11 points and once by just two. The Stags are led by backcourt duo Caleb Fields and Jalen Leach, who each average over 16 points per game.
St. Peter’s: 18-13 (12-8 MAAC), 194 NET, 195 KenPom
St. Peter’s gained lots of national attention during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. They entered as a No. 15 seed and became the lowest seed to ever reach an Elite Eight after defeating Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. While Doug Edert and his iconic ‘stache are no longer with the Peacocks, this team is looking to return to the NCAAs after missing out last year.
Like Fairfield, the St. Peter’s tournament wins have also been extremely close. They defeated Rider by two points in the quarterfinal and defeated top-seeded Quinnipiac by two points in the semifinal. Corey Washington leads the team with 16.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
How to watch the MAAC Tournament Championship Game
When: Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Jim Whelan Boardwalk (Atlantic City, NJ)
TV: ESPNU
Livestream: WatchESPN.com, ESPN App
Odds for MAAC Tournament Championship Game from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Fairfield -3
Moneyline: Fairfield -162, St. Peter’s +136
Total: 128
The Pick: St. Peter’s +3
Both teams’ playoff wins have been extremely close, and I think we see a one-score finish between these two evenly-matched teams. The Peacocks lost by just two points against Fairfield in their latest matchup, and after two regular-season losses, this just might be St. Peter’s time to finally shine. Look for the Peacocks’ top-80 defense to shut down the Fairfield backcourt duo.