Who plays
Merrimack Warriors @ Stanford Cardinal
Current records: Merrimack 5-6, Stanford 8-2
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What you should know
If the oddsmakers' predictions come true, the near future looks bright for Stanford. They'll be home for the holidays to welcome the Merrimack Warriors to Maples Pavilion on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. The Cardinals strut onto the scene with some offensive power as they have averaged 80.2 points per game this season.
Stanford's season wasn't pretty last year, but it looks like problems are on the horizon. Last Saturday they won against California with a score of 89:81. The win marked the Cardinal's second straight win.
Stanford's victory was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable points came from Jaylen Blakes, who was 7-for-13 en route to 20 points plus six assists and two blocks. Maxime Raynaud was another key player, going 8-for-15 en route to 20 points plus five blocks.
Stanford worked as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. They significantly outperformed their opponents in this category, as California only scored five points.
Meanwhile, Merrimack stormed into Friday's game with three straight wins (a stretch in which they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 points) and left the game with even more momentum. They won 64:61 in an exciting duel against the Terriers. For those keeping track at home, this is the closest victory the Warriors have recorded since February 15th.
Merrimack can attribute much of its success to Adam Clark, who went 8-for-13 en route to 18 points and eight assists. Those eight assists gave Clark a new career high. Another player who made a difference was Sean Trumper, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds and four steals.
Stanford's win increased their record to 8-2. As for Merrimack, their win increased their record to 5-6.
This contest is going to be a blast: Stanford has had no trouble putting up the score this season, averaging 80.2 points per game. However, things are different for Merrimack as they only have an average of 62.7. The only difference between Stanford and another offensive loss is Merrimack. Will they be able to keep them under control?
Opportunities
According to the latest college basketball odds, Stanford is the heavy favorite against Merrimack by 15.5 points.
The line has shifted a bit towards the Cardinal, as the game began with the Cardinal as 13.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 137.5 points.
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