Sacred Heart Pioneers vs Iona Gaels Picks and Predictions for Thursday March 5 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 03/05/2026, 01:15 AM ET

The Sacred Heart Pioneers take on the Iona Gaels in the MAAC Championship First Round on Thursday March 5, 2026 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. At the time of this writing the odds were not released for the moneyline, total, or spread. Be sure to also check out our free college basketball picks for more daily college basketball betting insights.

Pioneers Enter Tournament After Solid Stretch

The Sacred Heart Pioneers come into this MAAC tournament matchup with a 13-18 overall record and a 9-11 conference record. Sacred Heart has played relatively well recently, winning three of their last five games. They recently defeated Mount St. Mary’s 77-69, beat Rider 86-75, and picked up another win over Saint Peter’s 78-71. Their recent losses came against Marist 65-63 and Fairfield 78-68.

Sacred Heart averages 75.6 points per game while allowing 76.7 points per contest. The Pioneers shoot 43% from the field and average 35.1 rebounds per game while distributing 14.7 assists per contest.

One of the strengths of Sacred Heart is their offensive ball movement. The Pioneers average nearly 15 assists per game, showing their ability to share the ball and create scoring opportunities through team-oriented offense.

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Gaels Looking to Make a Tournament Run

The Iona Gaels enter this MAAC first-round matchup with an 18-13 overall record and a 10-10 conference record. Iona has been playing solid basketball lately, winning three of their last four games. The Gaels recently defeated Manhattan 69-65, beat Rider 80-58, and won over Saint Peter’s 72-64 in overtime. Their recent loss came in a double-overtime thriller against Merrimack 88-86.

Iona averages 73.6 points per game while allowing 72.5 points per contest. The Gaels shoot 44% from the field and average 35.6 rebounds per game while distributing 13.9 assists per contest.

One area where Iona has excelled this season is their defensive activity. The Gaels average 6.8 steals per game and have shown the ability to create turnovers that lead to quick transition scoring opportunities.

Sacred Heart Pioneers vs Iona Gaels Pick

Pioneers vs Gaels Pick

Pick: Iona Gaels Spread

Iona appears to have the edge in this matchup thanks to their stronger defensive numbers and slightly more balanced overall play. The Gaels have been playing well down the stretch and have shown the ability to close out games against conference opponents. With Sacred Heart allowing over 76 points per game, Iona should be able to find consistent scoring opportunities.

Pioneers vs Gaels Total Pick

Pick: Take the Over

I like the over in this matchup because both teams play at a pace that can produce scoring opportunities. Sacred Heart averages over 75 points per game and tends to allow plenty of scoring on the defensive end. With both offenses capable of moving the ball and generating open shots, this game has the potential to become a higher-scoring contest.

Final Score Prediction: Iona 78, Sacred Heart 73

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