LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers prediction: LIU's missing jumper heads into Towson's wide-open perimeter
Two winless rebuilds open at TU Arena, and the team that hits from outside, or from the line, should decide Towson's home opener.
Towson Tigers covered the closing spread (LIU Sharks +7.5). The game went under the closing total of 140.5.
| Spread | Towson -7.5 |
|---|---|
| Total (over/under) | 140.5 |
- Expect a sloppy, foul-heavy grind between two offenses still searching; Towson's free-throw problems could keep LIU close late.
- LIU's 25.8% three-point shooting against a Towson defense letting opponents hit 39.3% from deep.
- Towson is favored by 7.5 with a 140.5 total; the line has moved from Towson -5.5 to -7.5 since our feed first saw it, while the total is unchanged. Towson is 0-2 against the spread.
Champions in name only
LIU won the NEC last season, went 24-11 and reached the NCAA Tournament. Almost none of that team is left. The Sharks return 1.2% of last season's minutes, so last year's numbers say little about the group that will take the floor Monday night. Rod Strickland, in his fifth season, was picked to win the NEC again anyway, with Vasean Allette and Daquan Davis among the preseason All-NEC selections.
Towson is less of a blank slate but not by much, bringing back 25.7% of last season's minutes. Pat Skerry's teams win with defense; last season's group allowed fewer points per game than all but 16 Division I teams. This version has not done that yet. Opponents have posted a 55.7% effective field goal percentage (a shooting measure that counts threes as 1.5 makes), 312th nationally. Both teams arrive winless after nothing but road games, and this is Towson's home opener.
The arc is open, if LIU can shoot
Santa Clara and Utah both found the same weakness. Towson's opponents have taken 52.8% of their shots from three, the 19th-highest rate in the country, and made 39.3% of them. That defense would invite most teams to fire away.
LIU might be the exception. The Sharks are making 25.8% of their threes, 311th nationally, and Allette, the engine of the offense, is 0-for-8 from deep. When LIU drives instead, it will find little resistance from a Towson team without much shot-blocking. The more telling battle is at the other rim: LIU blocks 18.3% of opponents' two-point tries, 28th nationally, and Towson is making just 43.2% of its twos. LIU's Ryan Bewley is averaging 3.0 blocks in 17 minutes a night.
Free throws could flip it
LIU has fouled a lot so far. Opponents have attempted free throws at a rate of 50.0% of their field goal attempts, 322nd nationally. Against most teams that is a serious leak. Against Towson it might not be. The Tigers are making 54.5% at the line, 351st of 364.
LIU is the steadier shooter at the stripe, at 76.4%, and Allette has hit 94.1% of his attempts. In a game priced within two possessions, that gap matters most in the final minutes.
Allette against the pressure
Allette runs nearly everything for LIU, carrying a 28.5% usage rate (the share of possessions he finishes while on the floor) and 7.0 assists per game, including 11 at La Salle. His own scoring has been inefficient, with an offensive rating of 86.6.
Towson's defense has one clear strength this season: it forces turnovers on 22.1% of opponent possessions, 92nd nationally. LIU gives the ball away on 20.9% of its trips, 290th. If Towson's guards turn Allette's drives into live-ball steals, the Tigers' offense gets the easy baskets it has not been able to create in the half court.
Zion Stanford, the Villanova transfer and CAA preseason second-team pick, is Towson's top creator but is shooting 28% from the field.
Where the number sits
Towson is a 7.5-point favorite, and the line has moved from Towson -5.5 to -7.5 since our feed first recorded it, a move toward the Tigers. The total has held at 140.5 across seven books. The moneyline is Towson -380, LIU +300.
LIU's best showing came at Seton Hall, losing 67-60 and covering as a 17.5-point underdog. Towson lost at Utah by 10 and has failed to cover both games. LIU is playing on two days' rest after its third straight road game; Towson has had four.
LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers line movement and odds
| Book | Sharks ML | Tigers ML | Sharks spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | +290 | -375 | +7.5 (-105) | o140.5 (-105) |
| BetRivers | +275 | -375 | +7.5 (-110) | o140.5 (-110) |
| DraftKings | +330 | -425 | +8.5 (-115) | o140.5 (-112) |
| ESPN BET | +340 | -450 | +8.5 (-115) | o140.5 (-110) |
| Fanatics | +275 | -350 | +8 (-110) | o140 (-110) |
| FanDuel | +285 | -360 | +7.5 (-102) | o140.5 (-110) |
| Hard Rock Bet | +275 | -375 | +7.5 (-110) | o140.5 (-105) |
| Caesars | +310 | -400 | +8 (-110) | o140.5 (-110) |
Key players
- Vasean Allette (Long Island University): Averages 13.3 points and 7.0 assists but has yet to make a three in eight attempts.
- Daquan Davis (Long Island University): Scored 16 in his LIU debut at Florida Atlantic and is averaging 12.7 points.
- Tyrell Bowles (Long Island University): Pulls down 8.0 rebounds a game, including 11 at Florida Atlantic.
- Ryan Bewley (Long Island University): Averages 3.0 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game.
- Jaquan Womack (Towson): Leads Towson with 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and is 4-for-10 from three.
- Zion Stanford (Towson): Carries a 27.8% usage rate but is shooting 28% from the field.
- Ben Roseborough (Towson): Hit 41.1% of his threes last season at San José State but is 2-for-8 so far.
- Caleb Embeya (Towson): Has made every shot he has taken this season while averaging 6.0 points.
Numbers that matter
| Towson opponent 3-point % | 39.3% | 327th nationally, an invitation LIU's shooters have not yet been able to take. |
|---|---|---|
| LIU 3-point % | 25.8% | 311th nationally, with Allette yet to make one. |
| Towson free throw % | 54.5% | 351st of 364, against an LIU defense that sends opponents to the line often. |
| LIU returning minutes | 1.2% | Last season's NEC title team is almost entirely gone. |
| Spread | -5.5 | Towson's number has not moved since our feed first recorded it. |
LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers: quick answers
What was the final score of LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers?
LIU Sharks 46, Towson Tigers 66 (final). Towson Tigers covered the closing spread (LIU Sharks +7.5). The game went under the closing total of 140.5.
Who is favored in LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers?
Towson is favored by 7.5 points (Towson -7.5).
What is the over/under for LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers?
The total is 140.5 points.
When is LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers?
Monday, November 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.
Has the line moved for LIU Sharks vs Towson Tigers?
Yes: LIU Sharks opened +5.5 and is now +7.5, and the total moved from 141.5 to 140.5 (consensus of the regulated US sportsbooks since we first saw the game).