Eckel picks the MAAC: Rider vs Fairfield — Baggett’s Broncs seem poised to make a run, will they?

Rider (-2.5) at Fairfield, 2 p.m.

Rider’s convincing win over Monmouth Friday night might have been the confidence boost head coach Kevin Baggett’s team needed to finish the regular season and head to the MAAC Tournament.

It’s been a roller coaster season for Baggett’s Broncs (16-12, 10-8), but the talent is there for Rider, currently in fourth place, to make a run. Keep in mind the coaches picked Rider to finish second in the conference during the preseason.

What the Broncs have to avoid is a letdown against a Fairfield (11-17, 7-10) team they handled easily, 68-52, earlier this season.

Fairfield’s problem this season has been an inability to score. The Stags average just 59 points per game and have not topped 60 points in their last 10 games. They have also lost three of their last four and five of their last seven.

The Pick: It’s not easy to pick Rider on the road where it is just 4-11 this season. But the Broncs are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as a road favorite. They are also 33-16-2 ATS against bad teams and make no mistake Fairfield is bad. Take the Broncs and give the points.