College Basketball Picks

UMBC vs UMass-Lowell 1/8/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

UMass-Lowell River Hawks (8-6) vs. UMBC Retrievers (5-6)
January 8, 2022 5:30 pm EDT
The Line: UMBC Retrievers -3.5 / UMass-Lowell River Hawks +3.5; Over/Under: 145.5
(Get latest betting odds)

The UMass Lowell River Hawks will travel to Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena to take on the UMBC Retrievers this Saturday night in College Basketball action.

The UMass Lowell River Hawks lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 8-6 on the season after being defeated by the NJIT Highlanders, 77-72, this past Thursday. UMass Lowell trailed by a 35-28 margin at halftime and could not fight back after NJIT took a 70-61 lead with 1:38 left in regulation. UMass Lowell shot 44.1% from the field & 15.8% from beyond the arc while allowing NJIT to shoot 48.3% from the field & 44.4% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the River Hawks was Max Brooks who had a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, & 1 steal.

On the season, UMass Lowell is averaging 74.0 ppg on 44.9% shooting from the field. The River Hawks are averaging 6.8 three-pointers per game on 31.0% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UMass Lowell has been led by Kalil Thomas (11.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg), Everette Hammond (10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.6 spg), Max Brooks (10.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.8 bpg), & Justin Faison (9.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 spg).

Defensively, UMass Lowell is holding their opponents to an average of 62.2 ppg on 38.4% shooting from the field. The River Hawks have a rebound margin of 2.2 and a turnover margin of 3.8.

The UMBC Retrievers lost their 4th straight game and dropped to 5-6 on the season after being defeated by the UNC Greensboro Spartans, 62-51, on December 16th. UMBC struggled offensively in the 2nd half and allowed UNC Greensboro to pull away for the victory after the Spartans closed out the final 8:54 of regulation on a 15-4 run. UMBC shot 40.0% from the field & 28.0% from beyond the arc while allowing UNC Greensboro to shoot 41.5% from the field & 30.4% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Retrievers was Keondre Kennedy who had 14 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, & 1 steal.

On the season, UMBC is averaging 75.7 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Retrievers are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game on 34.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UMBC has been led by Keondre Kennedy (14.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg), Darnell Rogers (12.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.2 spg), L.J. Owens (9.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 apg), & Jacob Boonyasith (5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 apg).

Defensively, UMBC is allowing their opponents to average 73.3 ppg on 44.3% shooting from the field. The Retrievers have a rebound margin of -3.6 and a turnover margin of 2.1.

The River Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record & 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. The Retrievers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall & 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

UMass Lowell has been led by their defense which ranks 49th in scoring defense & 24th in defensive FG% while being average on the offensive end, ranking t-140th in scoring offense & 149th in FG%. UMBC has been led by their offense that comes into this game ranked 99th in scoring offense, however, the Retrievers have really struggled on the defensive end and come into this game ranked 283rd in scoring defense & 267th in defensive FG%.

UMBC is not as strong of a team this season and although they have been able to put up some points, this is just a team that doesn’t shoot the ball that well and has struggled on the defensive end. UMass Lowell is a tough defensive team that had an impressive win at Dayton this season and as I think the River Hawks defense will give the Retrievers some trouble, I think the play here is to take UMass Lowell and the points. Good Luck!

Brett Nault's Free Pick: UMass-Lowell River Hawks +3.5

Need More? Get Premium Picks

Brett Nault

Brett has been involved with sports his entire life, whether playing them or betting on them, and loves using his education in data analytics to break down all matchups to get you a competitive edge. Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05

Related Articles

Back to top button