Lafayette vs Navy Prediction College Basketball Picks 2/28/24

The Lafayette Leopards will head down to Annapolis to meet the Navy Midshipmen in Patriot League play this Wednesday from Alumni Hall on ESPN+. Navy leads the current series, 43-35, and they come in as narrow home favorites, with the total sitting at 131. Stay tuned for our Lafayette vs Navy Prediction.  

Lafayette Leopards Rundown

Lafayette fell to 11-18 after losing to Lehigh in Easton, 71-63. The Leopards were unable to rally back against the Mountain Hawks, and they’ll look to prevent a third straight loss here in Annapolis. Lafayette is scoring 63.5 points per game, on 41.1% shooting, while allowing 71.5 ppg, and they’re currently second in the Patriot League with a 10-6 record in conference play. 

Lafayette’s X-Factors

• Palm Beach native Devin Hines led the way with a game-high 20 points in the win over American, and he now leads Lafayette in scoring (9.6). 
• Veteran guard Eric Sondberg has knocked down three triples or more in four of the last six contests, and he’s second on the team at 9.3 ppg. 
• Junior center Justin Vander Baan leads the Leopards in rebounding (5.2), while averaging 9.0 ppg. 
• Freshman guard Mark Butler scored a team-high 16 points in the January 11th win over Colgate, and he’s averaging 8.1 ppg and a team-leading 3.6 apg.

Navy Midshipmen Rundown

Navy moved to 10-17 after defeating Holy Cross at home, 76-66. The Midshipmen used a fast start to down the Crusaders, and they’ll seek a third straight win here versus the Leopards.  Navy is scoring 66.7 points per game, on 39.4% shooting, while allowing 65.1 ppg, and they’re currently 7th in the Patriot League with a 6-10 record in conference play. 

Navy’s X-Factors

• Sophomore guard Austin Benigni went for a team-high 20 points in the win over Holy Cross,  and he leads the Midshipmen in scoring (16.5) and assists (3.7).
• Second-year forward Donovan Draper posted a 14-point double-double in the Loyola victory, and he leads the Midshipmen in rebounding (9.2), while averaging an identical 9.1 ppg.
• Richmond native Mac MacDonald scored 16 points in the January 31st matchup with Loyola, and he’s third on the team at 8.6 ppg.  

Lafayette vs Navy Trends

• LAF is 13-14-1 against the spread, with a 12-16 over/under record
• The Leopards are 4-6 over their last ten games, and they’re 6-7 on the road this season. 
• NAV is 9-15-2 against the spread, with a 16-10 O/U record
• The Midshipmen are 2-8 over their previous ten games, and they’re 8-5 in Annapolis this season. 

Lafayette vs Navy Prediction

Lafayette is the stronger team collectively, but Navy will come in with the best player on the floor, and they’ll be worth a shot as hosts. The Midshipmen will go as far as Austin Benigni takes them, and he has the hot hand right now. The Under will be in play if the Leopards are able to come in and dictate the flow of this game, but give a streaking Navy team the nod for this Patriot League matchup.

Corey Ghee's Pick: Navy TO WIN