The No. 22 Rhode Island Rams (17-3, 9-0 A10) put their 12-game winning streak on the line when they clash with the Massachusetts Minutemen (10-12, 3-6 A10) at William D. Mullins Center. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Rhode Island opened as a 10.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 141 points.
Rhode Island Rams at Massachusetts Minutemen Free Prediction
The last time the Rams played, they beat the Duquesne Dukes, 61-58. Rhode Island forced the Dukes into a turnover percentage of 26.7 (above their season average of 14.6). Duquesne, meanwhile, held the Rams to an offensive rebounding percentage of 17.6 (below their season average of 30.6). With 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, E.C. Matthews was the top scorer from either team.
The Minutemen lost to the Fordham Rams in their last game, 82-69. One of Fordham’s largest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 12-14 (85.7 percent), while the Minutemen were just 5-10 (50.0 percent). Massachusetts’ Unique McLean had 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the game.
This has potential to be a sloppy game for the offense of Massachusetts. Massachusetts ranks 252nd in the nation in ball protection (turnover percentage of 20.0 percent), while the disruptive defense of Rhode Island forces the sixth-most turnovers in the nation (24.5 percent).
Rhode Island comes into the game with records of 17-3 straight up (SU) and 10-6-2 against the spread (ATS). Games involving the Rams have a tendency to finish over the projected point total (55.6 percent).
Meanwhile, Massachusetts owns records of 10-12 SU and 9-10 ATS. In opposition of Rhode Island, just over half of Minutemen games have finished under the projected point total.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Stanford Robinson had 17 points and 12 rebounds and the Rams beat the Minutemen 73-51, covering as 13-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 124 points, which was 19 points below the projected point total of 143 points. The Rams knocked down 17 of their 21 free throws (81.0 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.483 vs. 0.364).
Rhode Island Rams vs. Massachusetts Minutemen Free Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Rhode Island, ATS Winner – Rhode Island, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Rhode Island is 4-3-1 ATS on the road with 6 overs and 2 unders.
Massachusetts is 5-4 ATS at home with 5 overs and 4 unders.
Rhode Island ranks 20th in assists allowed per game (10.5) while Massachusetts ranks 211th (15.3).
The Rams rank 39th in steals per game (7.7) while the Minutemen rank 201st (5.0).
Massachusetts ranks 137th in three pointers attempted per game (22.1) while Rhode Island ranks 262nd (17.6).
The Rams average 3.8 blocks per game, which ranks 82nd in the nation. The Minutemen rank 86th in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Rhode Island is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Massachusetts is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Rams’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.6, up from 10.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Minutemen have scored an average of 62.2 points per game (7.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 75.4 points per game (3.8 above their season average).
