In an always intriguing Wednesday afternoon time slot, the Massachusetts Minutemen take on the La Salle Explorers. La Salle hosts the festivities in Philadelphia, with the game doubling as the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. La Salle is 2-3 this season, though the Explorers have won their last two games. The sample size is smaller for UMass, with the Minutemen at just 1-1 in 2020-21.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Minutemen as four-point favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 140.5 in the latest UMass vs. La Salle odds. Before you make any La Salle vs. UMass picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection 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 $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It's also off to a fast start in the 2020-21 season, going 8-4 on all its top-rated picks and returning well over $300. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UMass vs. La Salle. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for La Salle vs. UMass:
- UMass vs. La Salle spread: UMass -4
- UMass vs. La Salle over-under: 140.5 points
- UMass vs. La Salle money line: UMass -190, La Salle +160
- UMass: The Minutemen are 20-12-1 against the spread in the last 33 games
- LS: The Explorers are 8-9-1 against the spread in the last 18 A-10 games
Why UMass can cover
The Minutemen have been relatively ordinary on defense this season, but there are some areas to find refuge. UMass is a tremendous defensive rebounding team, pulling down 80 percent of available rebounds, and that is always a positive. From there, La Salle ranks near the bottom nationally in multiple offensive categories. The Explorers are shooting just 43.6 percent on two-point attempts and 62.3 percent on free throws, harming their overall efficiency.
From there, La Salle also turns the ball over on 24.5 percent of possessions, and the Explorers are also well below-average in offensive rebounding, playing into UMass' hands. On the other end, the Minutemen are fantastic at taking care of the ball, committing a turnover on only 15.0 percent of possessions. That ball security, coupled with 37.2 percent three-point shooting and a top-100 mark in free throw creation, gives UMass varied paths to efficiency.
Why La Salle can cover
The Explorers rate very well defensively, both in specific areas and in overall efficiency. La Salle ranks in the top five nationally in shot blocking, rejecting 17.5 percent of shot attempts so far this season. The Explorers are also above-average in shooting efficiency allowed, including a top-30 national rank in three-point shooting allowed at 25.8 percent. Elsewhere, La Salle creates turnovers on 21.5 percent of possessions, which includes an above-average steal rate of 11.7 percent.
Offensively, La Salle is less dynamic overall, but the Explorers are a strong perimeter shooting team, knocking down 35.9 percent of their three-point attempts. UMass also ranks outside the top 200 in the country in three-point accuracy allowed, and the Minutemen are outside the top 300 nationally in free throw rate allowed, paving the way for La Salle to get to the line consistently.
How to make UMass vs. La Salle picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with only one player on either team projected to exceed 13 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins La Salle vs. UMass? And which side of the spread is hitting 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.
