Davidson vs UMass Odds, Lines and Spread

• Davidson and UMass bring matching three-game winning streaks into their Atlantic-10 game Sunday afternoon
• UMass is looking to avenge a 30-point blowout in the only meeting between the two last year in Davidson, NC
• Check the odds, analysis and our betting prediction below

Davidson and UMass bring matching three-game winning streaks into their Atlantic-10 game Sunday afternoon.

Davisdon (9-5, 5-2) has played the most rigorous schedule of the two, taking both Texas and Providence to the wire in two- and one-point losses before beating UNLV in the final game of the season-opening Maui Invitational. The Wildcats also have a win against Vanderbilt.

UMass (5-3, 4-1) lost at home to Bryant of the Northeast Conference.

Davidson vs UMass Odds

Odds from FanDuel Jan. 23. 

Davidson, 3-0 on the road this season, has won five of the last  six games in the series and two of the four played in Amherst. The teams have met once a year since Davidson joined the Atlantic-10 in 2014. Davidson beat UMass at home 85-50 last February after losing to the Minutemen 54-51 in Amherst the year before.

A Dramatic Contrast in Styles

UMass, fueled by point guard transfer Noah Fernandes and power forward Tre Mitchell, will attempt to push the ball quickly while Davidson and its three-guard lineup is more content to milk the shot clock while it looks for back-door cuts or inside-out 3-pointers.

UMass ranks 20th in NCAA Division I and second in the Atlantic-10 in scoring at 82.8 points a game.  The Minutemen rank sixth in the nation with 79.6 possessions per game and are 25th in adjusted tempo in the KenPom rankings with an average of  73.2 possessions per 40 minutes when the figured is adjusted for the schedule.

Sophomore Mitchell, 6-foot-9 and 240, had a career-high 37 points against LaSalle on Dec. 16 and has four 30-point games in his career.

Davidson, per KenPom, ranks 348th among the are 357 Division I schools with an average of 64.1 possessions for 40 minutes.

When Kellan Grady, Carter Collins and Hyunjung Lee have combined for more three pointers this season than 231 teams in Division I men's basketball 🥶🔥🎯#TCC // #CatsAreWild pic.twitter.com/LWAzkwKET3

— Davidson Basketball (@DavidsonMBB) January 21, 2021

Both make their style work. UMass has outscored opponents by an average of 7.8 points per game  while Davidson is outscoring its foes by 8.3. All of the Minutemen’s losses have been by five points or less.

Mitchell is averaging 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 53.5% from the field. Fernandes, who received immediate eligibility after transferring from Wichita State, is average 11.5 points and 5.6 assists. Fernandes is 26th in Division I in assists per game and is 36th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.81:1.

Davidson is 8-6 over the total, although its total never has been higher than 144. UMass is 7-1 over the total, with a number that has been over 144 five times.

Both Teams Can Play On Perimeter

Davidson’s outside-oriented attack has collected 132 three-point field goals, which is tied for 26th in NCAA Division I. The Wildcats are 35th in the nation with an average of 9.4 makes per game.

Davidson’s starting backcourt of Kellan Grady (17.1 points per game), Hyunjung Lee (14.1), and Carter Collins (13.6) have done the majority of the damage from the outside. Grady has 37 threes, Lee has 34 and Collins has 26. They have 13 20-point games between them and combined to shoot 41.5% from distance. Lee is third in the A-10 and 21st in Division I, shooting 45.9% from three.

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙬…#Flagship🚩 pic.twitter.com/r7MzGn4xks

— UMass Basketball (@UMassBasketball) January 18, 2021

UMass opponents have made 37% of their three-point attempts.

Carl Pierre (14.4 points per game) and Fernandes are the Minutemen’s primary outside threats. Pierre has made 21 threes and Fernandes has hit 14.

Davidson made 11-of-17 3-pointers and shot 72.1% from the field in the 85-50 home victory over UMass last season. The Wildcats led 52-22 at half. Pierre and Tre Mitchell are the only starters from that game to return for UMass, which is among the youngest teams in the country.

Davidson and UMass: Similar Results vs 3 Common Opponents

Davidson and UMass have three common foes, two in early A-10 play, and each beat Fordham in its game. Davidson stopped Fordham 73-58 points at home on Tuesday and UMass handled Fordham on the road 65-46 the previous Sunday.

UMass has beaten La Salle twice, 85-66 on the road and 83-63 at home, while the Wildcats topped La Salle 74-53 on Jan. 16. Each also has beaten Rhode Island, Davidson by nine on the road and UMass by two in overtime at home.

UMass has not played since beating Fordham after it scheduled game against No. 25 Saint Louis last Sunday was cancelled because of coronavirus concerns in the Billikens’ program.  The Minutemen, who did not play their first game until Dec. 11 because of their own COVID-19 issues, have had three games postponed since Jan. 2, including two against Saint Louis.

UMass reserve Kolton Mitchell suffered a concussion against Fordham and will not play, and starting guard Dibaji Walker has been bothered by a wrist injury.

The pick: Davidson -1.5 (-115)