Halftime Report

Fortunes may be turning around for UMBC after losing five in a row. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but UMBC leads 36-33 over Bryant. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams' last head-to-head, which was decided by just three points.

If UMBC keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 6-10 in no time. On the other hand, Bryant will have to make due with an 8-8 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Bryant Bulldogs @ UMBC Retrievers

Current Records: Bryant 8-7, UMBC 5-10

How To Watch

What to Know

We've got another exciting America East matchup on schedule as the Bryant Bulldogs and the UMBC Retrievers are set to tip at 1:00 p.m. ET on January 6th at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. UMBC does have the home-court advantage, but Bryant is expected to win by 5.5 points.

Last Sunday, the Bulldogs lost to the Rebels on the road by a decisive 95-78 margin.

Bryant's defeat came about despite a quality game from Earl Timberlake, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Timberlake has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Sherif Gross-Bullock, who scored 24 points along with five assists.

Meanwhile, UMBC's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Friday after their fifth straight loss. They fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 87-85. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.

The Bulldogs' loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 8-7. As for the Retrievers, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.

Fans should be in for an exciting game on Saturday as the two teams are among the highest scoring teams in the league right now. Bryant hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 79.5 points per game. However, it's not like UMBC struggles in that department as they've been averaging 79 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Bryant couldn't quite finish off UMBC when the teams last played back in February of 2023 and fell 76-73. Can Bryant avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.

Odds

Bryant is a solid 5.5-point favorite against UMBC, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 170.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

UMBC has won both of the games they've played against Bryant in the last year.

  • Feb 11, 2023 - UMBC 76 vs. Bryant 73
  • Jan 08, 2023 - UMBC 81 vs. Bryant 73