UMBC vs UMass Lowell Odds, Lines & Predictions (Jan. 18)

• The UMBC Retrievers take on the Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks on Wednesday, January 18th
• UMBC and Massachusetts Lowell currently own the two best records in the America East conference
• For the UMBC vs Massachusetts odds, read on below, as we also give our betting prediction

For the America East conference, you don’t get much bigger regular season matchups than this. On Wednesday, January 18th, the UMBC Retrievers (13-6, 10-8 ATS) visit the Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks (15-4, 8-7-1 ATS) with tipoff going at 6:00 pm ET at the Tsongas Center.

The River Hawks are a perfect 9-0 at home this year, while UMBC is even at 4-4 on the road. With a slightly better record and home court advantage, Massachusetts Lowell are 4.5-point favorites in the college basketball odds for this contest.

A road win would be huge to the Retrievers regular season title hopes. Have a look at the UMBC vs Massachusetts Lowell odds below as well as our best bet and pick for this game.

UMBC vs Massachusetts Lowell Odds

Odds as of January 17th from  Barstool Sportsbook. Get the Barstool Sportsbook promo code to bet on this game.

It’s been a bumpy road for both sides since returning from the Christmas break, however, UMBC has managed to string together four wins in a row after losing two straight after Christmas. The River Hawks are 3-2 during that span and are coming off a one point defeat to Binghamton.

UMBC Retrievers Pouring in Buckets Lately

Following back-to-back losses where they couldn’t muster more than 64 points in either game and managed to shoot a combined 35.7% from the floor, the Retrievers offense has awakened. In their last four contests, UMBC has averaged 86.3 points and collectively shot over 50% in those outings.

On the season, UMBC are an even 9-9 in the over/under odds, but have gone above the betting total in three of their last four.

Although they are ranked only 213th overall in the KenPom ratings, they have an adjusted offensive efficiency of 108.6, which places them in the top 25% of all teams in the country. With 77.8 points per game, they are 54th overall in the nation in that category.

https://t.co/cE5AvKW3os

— UMBC Men's Basketball (@UMBC_MBB) January 17, 2023

It’s all gravy when it comes to the offense, but when they hookup with UMass Lowell on Wednesday evening, it will be their shoddy defense that will be put to the test. KenPom has their adjusted defensive efficiency at 111.6, which puts them in the company of the bottom 10% of all teams in Division I ball.

Massachusetts Lowell Betting Outlook

You can bet UMass Lowell will be anxious to quickly turn the page on their most recent loss. Tied at 65 against Binghamton their last time out, guard Yuri Covington fouled Binghamton’s Jacob Falko with just over a second remaining. One shot from the stripe proved to be the difference in a disheartening loss for the River Hawks.

Back on home court where they are spotless this season, UMass will look to continue their recent run of victories over UMBC. They beat them three times in three consecutive months head-to-head last year.

UMBC vs Massachusetts Lowell Recent Results

The River Hawks play a balanced game on both sides of the ball, but can really shoot it on offense. They average just 0.1 points less than their conference opponents on Wednesday.

Hitting long range buckets is where the River Hawks really stand out. They’re hitting an astounding 38.4% of their shots from beyond the arc, which puts them in the top 25 in the entire nation.

UMBC vs Massachusetts Lowell Pick and Prediction

If you just look at the average offensive production for both these squads, they combine for a total of 156 points per game which makes the over/under in the college basketball odds for this one seem likely to top.

Good to be home all WEEK! 🏠https://t.co/dYuLUeFnUZ#UnitedInBlue | #AEHoops

— UMass Lowell MBB (@RiverHawkMBB) January 17, 2023

Nothing is a lock, and the River Hawks do take some pride in their defense. In fact, they own the best defense in the entire country against opponents attempts from inside the arc.

Yes, they can actually get some stops in their own end, but that’s negated by a UMBC defense that is amongst the worst in the nation. In their previous two meetings last year, the two sides combined to score 178 and 159 points, so we feel pretty comfortable in our prediction for them to go over 148 points in this one.

Pick: Over 148 (-110)