Planning on watching today’s Rams and Minutemen game? Catch the action at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, as the Minutemen hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on USA. VCU is favored by -1.5 in this Atlantic 10 conference contest against Massachusetts. The game’s over/under currently sits at 140.5 points.

VCU RAMS VS MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN BETTING PICK

The Pick: Massachusetts Minutemen +1.5

This game will be played at Barclays Center at 2:00 ET on Thursday, March 14th.

WHY BET THE MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Minutemen.
  • Not only will Massachusetts pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 140.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Can VCU Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

VCU enters this game as the favorite, and the Rams have been the favorite in 22 of their 31 games this season. They are 17-5 in those games.

On the road, VCU has gone 5-4 this season, and they are coming off of a win over Fordham, 69-62. Over their last 10 road games, the Rams are 5-5.

VCU has an overall ATS record of 18-13 this season and they are 13-9 vs. the spread when they are the favorite. On the road, the Rams have gone 6-3 vs. the spread this year and they are 7-3 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for VCU games is 14-17 and today’s line of 140.5 is similar to the average over/under line in their games (140.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 145 points compared to their season average of 138.5 points per game. So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line.

In their recent game, the Rams’ offense concluded with 69 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 72.3 points per contest. Max Shulga led the team in scoring, putting up 14 points. Additionally, Toibu Lawal contributed 13 points for the Rams.

So far, the Rams’ defense is ranked 62nd in the country at 67.6 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, VCU’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 41.1% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.4% this season.

Will the Massachusetts Defense Show Up at Home?

Massachusetts has been the underdog in six games this season, and they come into this one with a 3-3 record in those games. The Minutemen are 14-4 at home this season, and over their last 10 games at home, they are 8-2.

Overall, UMass is 20-10 this season, and they are coming off of a 66-64 win over Fordham. The Minutemen have won three straight games, and they have gone 2-1 in their last three games at home.

As the underdog this season, UMass has an ATS record of 5-1. At home, their ATS mark is 10-8. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Minutemen are 7-3 vs. the spread.

Massachusetts’ over/under record this season is 14-15-1 and today’s line of 140.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (149.4). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is just 130 points and their over/under record in their last 10 games is 3-7.

In their recent matchup, the Massachusetts offense ended with 66 points against Fordham. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 41.5% and made 7 threes. Leading Massachusetts in scoring vs. Fordham was Josh Cohen with his 19 points. Rahsool Diggins also added 16 points for the Minutemen.

On defense, Massachusetts is currently around the NCAA average in points allowed, giving up an average of 70.7 points per game. In their previous game vs. Fordham, the Rams finished with a field goal percentage of 41% and a total of 64 points vs. Massachusetts.