Sharps Back Manhattan as Jaspers Approach Canisius Clash
Manhattan has emerged as the market favorite heading into the matchup with Canisius on Sunday, February 15, 2026 (ET), with professional bettors pushing the Jaspers on both the spread and the moneyline. The betting splits and team metrics point to a clear edge for Manhattan, which has won two straight and carries offensive momentum into the contest.
Sharps pile on Manhattan in betting markets
Early lines opened with Manhattan as a short road favorite, but market action has steamed that number slightly. The Jaspers have been shown at -1. 5, with a few books juicing the market to -1. 5 at -115 and even touching -2 at times. More telling is the split between bet count and wager dollars: Manhattan has received a large share of the big-money action even when smaller-ticket bets are more balanced, a classic sign of sharp support.
On the spread, Manhattan is collecting the majority of the high-dollar wagers while the number of individual bets is more mixed. Moneyline action provides a similar picture; many professionals have pivoted to the Jaspers on the straight-up line, where the road price has been offered near -125. Market projections used by bettors have Manhattan narrowly favored, reinforcing the prudence of taking the Jaspers straight up rather than laying the short chalk.
Matchup edge: why the Jaspers have the advantage
The statistical matchup favors Manhattan on several fronts. Offensive efficiency and effective field-goal numbers tilt toward the Jaspers, and Manhattan ranks notably better in free-throw shooting and ball security. The team averages roughly 76 points per game compared to about 63 for Canisius, a sizable gap in scoring output that matters in close, low-margin games.
Turnover rates also favor Manhattan; the Jaspers commit fewer turnovers per possession, which helps sustain offensive possessions and limits transition opportunities for opponents. Those process-oriented edges—shot quality, free-throw conversion and turnover avoidance—have underpinned the pro betting interest and explain why sharp money is willing to lay short chalk on the road.
What to watch on game day
Key in-game factors include free-throw attempts, turnover margin and whether Manhattan can sustain its recent offensive form against a Canisius defense that has struggled. Canisius enters the matchup on a slide, having dropped multiple straight and failing to slow opponents consistently. If the Jaspers control tempo and force Canisius into mistakes, the market expectation is that the road side will cover and possibly win outright.
There is also a recent local wrinkle: the Canisius women's team dropped a matinee contest at Manhattan on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 3: 53 PM ET, a result that adds a minor emotional angle to the rivalry heading into Sunday's men's meeting. Ultimately, bettors will be watching late-market movement and line drift leading up to tip-off to gauge whether the sharp action holds or public money begins to push the number back.
With both spread and moneyline activity skewed toward Manhattan and efficiency metrics supporting that action, the Jaspers enter the Canisius game with clear backing from informed bettors. Expect the market to remain active up to tip-off as bettors weigh matchup data, recent form and live team news.
