Free NCAA Hoops Pick: Rams vs. Minutemen CBB Odds
Looking for Rhode Island Rams vs. UMass Minutemen NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Rams taking on the Minutemen on Saturday, January 15th, 2021 at the Mullins Center in Amherst, MA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all college basketball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NCAA basketball predictions like this URI UMass matchup.
2021 NCAA Basketball Handicapping
(10-4) Rhode Island Rams vs. UMass Minutemen (3-8)
Date: Saturday, January 15th, 2021
Time: 4:30 PM ET
Venue: Mullins Center, Amherst, MA
CBB Moneyline Odds: Rams +180 | Wildcats -250
CBB Betting ATS Odds: URI +5.5 | DAV -5.5 (Bet Now!)
CBB Betting Total: O/U 139.5
The Rhode Island Rams will travel north and take on their border rival, the UMass Minutemen, this Saturday afternoon for an Atlantic 10 battle.
HISTORY: These two schools have crossed paths in every season since 1999. UMass leads the all-time series 27-20, but Rhode Island has won seven of the last ten.
UMass will be favored to win as hosts here.
Rhode Island Rams
Rhode Island came into A-10 play with solid non-conference over wins Harvard and Boston College, and they took down St. Joseph’s at home last time out. The Rams took a six-point lead into halftime, and didn’t look back, defeating the Hawks 75-64.
URI is an efficient team that plays from the inside-out. The Rams shoot 48.8% from the field, ranking 18th in the nation, and they block almost seven shots per game.
Jeremy Sheppard runs the offense from the lead guard spot. He scored a season-high 25 points in the road win over Milwaukee, and he leads Rhode Island in points (11.1) and assists (3.2).
The play of the Mitchell brothers up front will heavily factor into the outcome of this one. Mahki Mitchell double-doubled in the win over Milwaukee, and he leads URI in rebounding (6.9), while scoring 10.5 ppg.
Makhel Mitchell mans the middle, and causes a lot of trouble for opposing offenses. The 6’10 big man blocked a school-record eight shots in the win over Boston College, and he ranks sixth in the nation at 2.8 bpg.
Antwan Walker ironically plays like former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker, stretching the floor and crashing the glass effectively. The 6’7 forward averages 8.5 ppg, and 4.5 rpg.
Guards Ishmael Leggett, Malik Martin, and Ball State transfer and Ishmael El-Amin join Sheppard in the frontcourt. Martin is second on the team in rebounding (6.1) after grabbing double-digit boards in two of the last three games.
UMass Minutemen
UMass got off to a solid start during non-conference play, defeating Penn State, Rutgers, and Harvard, but they’ve opened A-10 play with straight losses. The Minutemen took the lead into halftime but couldn’t hold off a second half rally from Davidson, losing 77-67.
Despite losing leading scorer Tre Mitchell, UMass struck well through the transfer portal, and they shoot the three ball pretty well at 40%, good for fifth in the country.
Noah Fernandes has been the leader of the UMass attack so far. He had back-to-back 24-point performances against Northeastern and Harvard, and he leads the team in scoring (16.4) and assists (4.2).
C.J. and Rich Kelly join him in the backcourt. C.J., a 6’5 transfer from Albany, scored a career-high 27 points in the win over Rutgers and he’s second on the team in scoring (13.9).
Rich, a 6’1 transfer from Boston College, ‘has brought a lot of shooting to the lineup, hitting multiple threes in five of the last six games.
Penn State transfer Trent Buttrick lines up in the middle, and he’s averaging 11.5 ppg and a team-leading 5.5 rpg.
CBB Betting Trends:
- UMass is 6-6 ATS in their last 12 games.
- URI is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.
- Under is 6-2 in the Rams last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Free Rhode Island Rams vs. UMass Minutemen NCAAB Prediction: URI to Cover
Size may just be the deciding factor in this one, and UMass might really feel the loss of Tre Mitchell here.
4* Free CBB Betting Pick: Rhode Island -5.5
UMass may find trouble shooting their way out of this one. They’e going to be at a distinctive size advantage, and they already don’t rebound the ball well (32.6 rpg, 310th in the nation). If Rhode Island is able to come in and play bully ball, they should cover for the second time this week. The Mitchell brothers should take full advantage of Tre Mitchell’s departure and take care of business here.
Take Rhode Island’s spread for this A10 battle.
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