The Rhode Island Rams looks for their third win in four games when they take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers in nonconference action on Tuesday. The Rams (6-3) are tough at home and have compiled an 86-21 (.804) record over the last eight years. Last season Rhode Island was 6-3 in games played at Kingston, R.I. The Pioneers (3-6), meanwhile, return 98.3 percent of their scoring and 96.1 percent of their minutes from a year ago, when they finished 9-9 overall in 2020-21.
The game from the Thomas M. Ryan Center is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. ET. Sacred Heart is averaging 73.6 points per game, while Rhode Island averages 69.9. The Rams are 15.5-point favorites in the latest Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 137. Before locking in any Rhode Island vs. Sacred Heart picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rhode Island vs. Sacred Heart. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and betting trends for Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island:
- Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island spread: Rhode Island -15.5
- Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island over-under: 137 points
- Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island money line: Rhode Island -1400, Sacred Heart +800
- SHU: The Pioneers are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games following an ATS loss
- URI: The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games
Why Rhode Island can cover
Defense has been the calling card for the Rams this season. Rhode Island is limiting opponents to 35.7 percent from the field, ranking them eighth in the nation and second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in field goal defense. Six foes have shot 36.5 percent from the floor or lower, including each of the last three. Teams are scoring 62.9 points against the Rams, which is second in the conference and 66th nationally.
Offensively, Rhode Island has seven players averaging at least eight points per game. Among them is redshirt freshman Ishmael Leggett, who is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is connecting on 47.1 percent of his 3-pointers. Leggett has scored in double figures in four of his nine starts, including a 20-point performance in a win over Georgia State.
Why Sacred Heart can cover
The Pioneers are led by junior guard Tyler Thomas, who averages a team-high 19.3 points. Thomas has reached double-digit scoring in eight of nine games, including a season-high 29 points in a 75-70 loss to NJIT on Nov. 30. He has scored 20 or more points in four games and has registered one double-double. For the season, he is also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is connecting on 88.9 percent of his foul shots.
Also powering Sacred Heart is senior guard Aaron Clarke, who averages 17 points, three assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. He is also a solid free-throw shooter, connecting on 83.9 percent of his foul shots. Clarke is also connecting on 47.1 percent of his field goals, including 44.4 percent from 3-point range. In Sunday's game at Brown, he matched his career high in scoring with 24 points off 9 of 14 shooting.
How to make Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 141 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can get the pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins Rhode Island vs. Sacred Heart? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five-plus years, and find out.
