2024 Northeast Conference Tournament

The Northeast Conference Tournament kicks off the conference tournament season beginning on March 6 with games played on campus sites. The winner will get the conference’s lone bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Eight of the nine teams qualified, as Stonehill fell short in their first Division I season. If Le Moyne wins, they are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, so the runner-up would get the automatic bid.

 

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Note that this conference re-seeds after the quarterfinals, “so the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals”, per the league website. 

How to Watch the Northeast Conference Tournament

When: March 6, March 9, March 12

Where: Campus sites

Format: Re-seeded after quarterfinals

Watch: NEC Front Row, ESPN+, YES Network and NESN+. The final will be telecast on ESPN2 on March 12 at 7 p.m. ET.

College Basketball Odds | College Basketball Betting Splits | Greg Peterson’s Daily Lines | Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings

Northeast Conference Tournament Bracket

Northeast Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds

1. Central Connecticut State (+120)

2. Merrimack (+120)

3. Sacred Heart (+850)

4. Le Moyne (+1400)

5. Fairleigh Dickinson (+4500)

6. Wagner (+2800)

7. Long Island University (LIU) (+25000)

8. Saint Francis (PA) (+30000)

(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)

Favorite To Win Northeast Conference Tournament

Merrimack is the co-betting favorite at DraftKings at +120 despite being the No. 2 seed in this tournament. My T Shoe Index agrees with the oddsmakers here, as Merrimack is my top power rated team in the Northeast Conference by 4.7 points over CCSU, boasting the best defensive rating in the conference. 

Northeast Conference Tournament Darkhorse

Wagner at +2800 is interesting to me (shop around!), as they are the 4th-rated team in the conference, per the T Shoe Index, but sit as the 6-seed with the 5th-longest odds. They have the second-best defensive rating in TSI in the conference, which could potentially make things interesting in the tournament. Admittedly, their bottom-rated offense is a concern, but if we’re looking for a dark horse here, I think Wagner is the pick.  

Players to Watch in Northeast Conference Tournament

Bolstering the Merrimack offensive attack is conference leading scorer, Jordan Derkack, averaging 17.7 PPG on 48% shooting, while also contributing 5.9 RPGand 3.8 APG. 

Another offensive dynamo in this tournament is Ansley Almonor from Fairleigh Dickinson, who averages 16.7 PPG on almost 40% from 3-point range. 

A defensive standout to keep an eye on is Alex Sobel of Sacred Heart, who averages a whopping 2.8 blocks per game to go along with 1.3 steals per game. 

Betting Pick to Win The Northeast Conference Tournament

If you’re looking for who should win this the 2024 Northeast Conference Tournament, it’s definitely Merrimack. They’re the oddsmakers’ co-favorite for a reason. As I mentioned, I’ve got them power-rated 4.7 points higher than the No. 1 seed, Central Connecticut State, and when looking at how those two teams are trending of late, it’s an even wider disparity between the two (8.5 points). We’re still getting them at plus-money, so I think it would be worth the investment, especially in a re-seeding format to give them an easier path than a traditional format. 

T Shoe Index Power Ratings for the Northeast Conference

TeamPower Rating
Merrimack2.2
Central Connecticut State-2.5
Sacred Heart-2.9
Wagner-5.8
Le Moyne-6.5
Fairleigh Dickinson-7.2
Long Island University-10.9
Saint Francis (PA)-11.2

Pick: Merrimack +120

Makinen Power Ratings for Northeast Conference

Check out the other previews in our 2024 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.

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