usatsi-13895691-jared-butler-baylor-2020-1400-phog.jpg
USATSI

It's the first leg of another two-game America East series when the UMass Lowell River Hawks face the New Hampshire Wildcats on Friday. The River Hawks (6-8, 5-5) have been off for nearly three weeks after a series with Albany was postponed. They have won four of their last five games, including a two-game sweep of Binghamton capped by a 77-67 victory Jan. 17. UNH (8-7, 7-5) split a two-game set with Binghamton last weekend, winning 71-65 in overtime Sunday. UMass Lowell has the conference's top scorer in Obadiah Noel, and New Hampshire's Jayden Martinez is its top rebounder.

Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, N.H. The Wildcats are one-point favorites in the latest UMass Lowell vs. New Hampshire odds from William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total points scored is 135.5. Before making any New Hampshire vs. UMass picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,300 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 UMass Lowell vs. New Hampshire. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for New Hampshire vs. UMass Lowell:

  • UMass Lowell vs. New Hampshire: Wildcats -1
  • UMass Lowell vs. New Hampshire over-under: 135.5
  • UML: F Connor Withers has scored at least 13 points in three of the last four games.
  • NH: The Wildcats have had five different leading scorers in the past six games.

Why New Hampshire can cover 

New Hampshire is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games overall, and the Wildcats give up just 66 points per game (72nd in NCAA) while the River Hawks score 68.4 (252nd). And a UNH offense that scores 66.8 (288th) should find more success against a defense that yields 71.4 (216th in NCAA). Rebounding should make a big difference, and Martinez gets 8.8 per game as the Wildcats beat opponents on the boards by more than three per contest.

Martinez scores 13.1 points per game and leads the team in 3-point attempts, making 26 of 66 (39.4 percent). Top scorer Nick Guadarrama (14.7 points) makes 35.3 percent from outside the arc and also gets nearly seven rebounds and a steal per contest. UNH hounds opponents, averaging 5.5 steals and 2.7 blocked shots per game. Guards Qon Murphy, Marque Maultsby, Blondeau Tchoukuiengo all average more than seven points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists.           

Why UMass Lowell can cover

UMass Lowell is 3-2 against the spread with four or more days off, and the River Hawks will be itching to play a meaningful game. Noel tops the America East at 21.2 points per game, and he shares the team lead in assists (3.5) and gets a team-high 1.4 steals. The guard makes a third of his 3-pointers (24 of 72) as the River Hawks shoot nearly 34 percent from outside. Kalil Thomas is the most efficient from outside the arc, hitting 48.4 percent on 31 attempts.

The River Hawks are 4-1 against the spread in their last five overall, and they rank second in the conference in rebound defense, with opponents getting 32.6 per game. Forward Connor Withers gets 6.6 boards per game, with 5.6 on the defensive end, while 51 of Noel's 69 rebounds have been in the UNH end. Withers and fellow forward Salif Boudie combine for 16.4 points and two blocked shots per game. Allin Blunt is a versatile forward who hits 43.3 on three-pointers.     

How to make New Hampshire vs. UMass Lowell picks

The model is leaning under on the total, projecting both teams combine for 136 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that is hitting in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins New Hampshire vs. UMass Lowell? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.