The Iona Gaels will meet the Rhode Island Rams in the NIT Tournament Tuesday, and the Rams are asked to cover quite a significant spread. Rhode Island finished third in the A-10 Conference with an overall record of 22-9, but lost in the conference tourney to Dayton by a score of 56-52. I expect the disappointment of missing the Big Dance to set up a let down for the favorite here.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Offense - The Gaels come in with far superior numbers on offense, scoring an average of just under 80 points per game. That's almost 14 points per game more than the Rams are averaging (66.2 PPG).

2. A.J. English - Iona's leading scorer had an off game in the loss to Manhattan, but he'd scored 61 points on 20-of-30 shooting in consecutive wins prior to that. If he can get back on track tonight, the Gaels could win this game outright.

3. X-Factor - Three-point shooting could be a deciding factor in tonight's game, and the Gaels come in hitting exactly 40% from beyond the arc this season. That's quite a bit better than the 29.6% average for the Rams.

Selection: This is a play on the Iona Gaels (8*)