Looking to win big? The Retrievers and River Hawks face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The River Hawks are hosting the game at Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, MA. The odds for this America East conference game currently have Massachusetts-Lowell as the -8.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 162.5 points.

UMBC RETRIEVERS VS MASSACHUSETTS-LOWELL RIVER HAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: UMBC Retrievers +8.5

This game will be played at Costello Athletic Center at 3:00 ET on Saturday, March 9th.

WHY BET THE UMBC RETRIEVERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-69 in favor of the River Hawks.
  • Even though we have Massachusetts-Lowell winning straight-up, we like UMBC at +8.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 162.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Do the Retrievers Stand a Chance on the Road?

UMBC comes into this game with an 11-20 overall record and a 6-10 mark in America East play. On the road, the Retrievers have gone 5-11 this season, and they are currently on a two-game winning streak away from home. UMBC’s average scoring margin on the road is -3.4 points per game.

In their last game, the Retrievers lost to Binghamton by a score of 72-71. Over their last 10 road games, UMBC has gone 4-6, and they are 4-1 in their last five games away from home. This season, UMBC has been the underdog in 22 of their 31 games, going 7-15 in those contests.

UMBC has been a solid bet against the spread this season, going 17-13. Their road ATS mark is 11-5, and they have gone 9-1 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread. As the underdog, the Retrievers have an ATS record of 14-8 this year.

UMBC’s over/under record this season is 16-14 and today’s line of 162.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (157.7). So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 144 points and their over/under record during this stretch is 0-3.

The UMBC offense is coming off a game in which they scored 71 points vs. Binghamton. Overall their field goal percentage was 45% while connecting on 4 threes. For the season, the UMBC offense has struggled to get to the free-throw line, ranking just 334th in terms of free-throw attempts per game. Their overall field goal percentage is currently 46%.

Coming into the game, UMBC will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 80.3 points per game (336th). In terms of field goal percentage allowed, UMBC’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 44.6% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.7% this season.

Can Massachusetts-Lowell Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Massachusetts-Lowell is 20-9 overall and 11-5 in America East play. They have lost two straight games, including a 71-65 loss to Maine in their last game. The River Hawks are 7-3 at home this season, and they have gone 4-1 in their last five home games. For the year, they have gone 14-6 when favored.

On the other hand, UMBC is 14-14 overall and 6-7 in conference action. They have won two straight games, including a 71-65 win over Maine in their last game. The Retrievers are 4-7 on the road this season, and they have gone 3-3 when they have been the underdog.

When looking at their full season ATS record, Massachusetts-Lowell is just 12-14. However, their ATS mark at home is even worse at 2-8. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the River Hawks have gone just 4-6 vs. the spread.

UMass-Lowell’s over/under record this season is 12-14 and today’s line of 162.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (148.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points and their OU record in that span is 0-3. So far, 19 of their games have finished with less points than today’s over/under line.

Most recently, the Massachusetts-Lowell offense finished with just 65 points vs. Maine. For the game, they hit 7/19 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 32.3%. The top scorer for the River Hawks was Cam Morris III with 22 points, while Quinton Mincey also chipped in with 13 points.

Coming into today’s game, the Massachusetts-Lowell defense is giving up an average of 70.2 points per contest. So far, the Massachusetts-Lowell defense is giving up an average of 9.2 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.8 times per game (670th).