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UMBC vs Vermont 1/15/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

Vermont Catamounts (10-4) vs. UMBC Retrievers (6-7)
January 15, 2022 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: UMBC Retrievers +6.5 / Vermont Catamounts -6.5 ; Over/Under: 141.5
(Get latest betting odds)

The Vermont Catamounts will travel to Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena to take on the UMBC Retrievers this Saturday afternoon in College Basketball action.

The Vermont Catamounts won their 4th straight game and improved to 10-4 on the season after defeating the Stony Brook Seawolves, 98-65, this past Wednesday. Vermont was lights out on the offensive end against Stony Brook and had no trouble pulling away for the victory in the 2nd half after going into halftime with a 53-39 lead. Vermont shot 62.5% from the field & 63.3% from beyond the arc while allowing Stony Brook to shoot 44.4% from the field & 39.1% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Catamounts was Finn Sullivan who had 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, & 1 steal.

On the season, Vermont is averaging 69.6 ppg on 46.0% shooting from the field. The Catamounts are averaging 7.9 three-pointers per game on 32.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Vermont has been led by Ryan Davis (17.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 bpg), Ben Shungu (14.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.0 spg), Isaiah Powell (10.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 apg), & Justin Mazzulla (7.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.9 apg).

Defensively, Vermont is holding their opponents to an average of 61.0 ppg on 41.1% shooting from the field. The Catamounts have a rebound margin of 2.3 and a turnover margin of 2.1.

The UMBC Retrievers snapped their 5-game losing streak and improved to 6-7 on the season after defeating the NJIT Highlanders, 76-56, this past Wednesday. UMBC was solid on both ends of the court against NJIT and had no trouble pulling away for the victory after taking a 50-27 lead with 15:43 left in regulation. UMBC shot 46.4% from the field & 40.7% from beyond the arc while allowing NJIT to shoot 46.0% from the field & 25.0% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Retrievers was Jacob Boonyasith who had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, & 1 steal.

On the season, UMBC is averaging 74.8 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Retrievers are averaging 9.2 three-pointers per game on 35.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UMBC has been led by Keondre Kennedy (14.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), Darnell Rogers (11.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.1 spg), L.J. Owens (10.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg), & Jacob Boonyasith (6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 apg).

Defensively, UMBC is allowing their opponents to average 71.4 ppg on 44.3% shooting from the field. The Retrievers have a rebound margin of -2.3 and a turnover margin of 1.3.

The Catamounts are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall, however, are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Retrievers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 5-7 ATS overall on the season.

Vermont has been led by their defense which ranks 26th in scoring defense & 95th in defensive FG% and although their scoring offense ranks just t-237th, the Catamounts have shot the ball well, ranking 95th in FG%. UMBC has been led by their offense which ranks 117th in scoring offense & t-51st in three-pointers made per game, however, the Retrievers have struggled defensively as they come into this matchup ranked just 241st in scoring defense & 256th in defensive FG%.

Vermont has looked great lately, however, if there is one team in the American East that has given the Catamounts some trouble, it’s UMBC. UMBC has a winning record at home this season to go along with an impressive road victory at Pittsburgh, and as I think the Retrievers offense will be able to keep this game competitive, I’m taking UMBC and the points. Good Luck!

Brett Nault's Free Pick: UMBC Retrievers +6.5

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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

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