Maine vs Bryant Odds, Picks & Predictions – America East Title Game

• Maine and Bryant play in the America East Championship Game on Saturday Morning
• The Black Bears are eyeing their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance
• See below for my Maine vs Bryant picks, predictions, and the latest odds

The America East Tournament comes to an end on Saturday, March 15. The 3-seed Maine Black Bears (20-13, 10-6 America East, 16-15 ATS) and the 1-seed Bryant Bulldogs (22-11, 14-2 America East, 14-17 ATS) face off for a chance to reach the NCAA Tournament. No matter who wins, we will see a first-time America East champion.

Tipoff for this game is at 11 am ET at Bryant University. Keep reading for the latest America East Title game odds and my predictions.

Maine vs Bryant Odds

The college basketball odds list Bryant as a 6.5-point favorite on their home court. The Bulldogs opened as 6-point favorites over Maine in this game. The O/U for this championship game is set at 143.5.

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Maine vs Bryant Prediction (America East Championship)

1-seeds have done historically well in the America East Championship, and I am predicting that that trend continues on Saturday. In the conference tournament as a whole, 1-seeds have gone 105-15 straight up and have reached the championship game 34 times. They are 28-6 in those title games and have won three in a row.

Bryant made their only March Madness appearance in 2022 when they won the NEC Tournament. This has been their best season since coming over to the America East where they only lost twice in the conference. These tournament games are played on the home floor of the better seed, and home-court advantage has played a major role. Since 2015, home teams are 56-12 straight up. Maine just upset Vermont on the road in the semifinals, and no team has won multiple road games in the America East to win the title since 2012.

Maine vs Bryant KenPom Rankings

The Bulldogs play at a fast pace and are seventh in the entire country in adjusted tempo. They average over two more points than any other team in the conference and can score very quickly. Their offensive rebounding ability is truly where they separate themselves from the other teams in the America East. They have the size and are aggressive at getting second-chance opportunities. They are seventh in the conference in points allowed, but they are No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and are good at limiting opposing three-point shots.

Maine has been on a magical run this season. The Black Bears won 20 games for the first time since 2004 and this is their first championship game appearance since that season. Maine plays at a slow pace but has a strong defense as they allow 65.7 points per game. They are middle-of-the-pack when it comes to scoring, and they will need their defense to step up on Saturday if they want to reach their first-ever NCAA Tournament.

Maine vs Bryant Picks

I am picking Bryant to win their first America East Tournament on Saturday. Maine did Bryant a favor by beating Vermont in the semifinals, and while I love the story of Maine, Bryant is simply the better team. One of Bryant’s two conference losses came against Vermont, while they swept Maine in the regular season. The Bulldogs won 81-55 at home earlier this year then won 80-72 at Maine on March 1.

The Bulldogs are looking for revenge after losing in the America East Championship game last year, and I expect that they will outrun and outrebound Maine en route to their first America East title. This one could get out of hand early if Maine struggles to stop the Bulldogs in transition. Take Bryant to cover the spread.

America East Championship Pick: Bryant -6.5 (-108)