American Eagles vs UMBC Retrievers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our UMBC vs American NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Washington.

UMBC vs American Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Retrievers and Eagles. The game is starting at 4:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Eagles at Bender Arena in Washington, DC. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 149.5 points, and American is favored by -2.5 against UMBC in a non-conference matchup.

UMBC vs. American Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UMBC Retrievers at American Eagles
Where: Washington at Bender Arena
Date: Sunday, December 29th
Betting Odds AMERCN -2.5, UMBC +135 | AMERCN -167 O/U 149.5

Retrievers Preview: Can UMBC Pull Off A Win at Bender Arena?

UMBC's season record dropped to 5-7 after a 76-73 road loss to Marist on Saturday. The Retrievers entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs and managed to cover the spread, but couldn't pull off the win.

Both teams scored 39 points in the first half, and the second half was just as tight, with each team putting up 31 points. The game’s total points of 149 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 147.5.

Retrievers Offense Breakdown

UMBC's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 41% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.8%, thanks in part to hitting 12 of 29 threes at a 41.4% clip. Inside the arc, they struggled, making just 40.6% of their two-point attempts.

Bryce Johnson led the way with 23 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 61.5% from the field. Marcus Banks Jr. contributed 15 points, hitting 5 threes, despite shooting just 26.3% overall. The Retrievers also got 16 points from Josh Pascarelli and 17 from Elijah Lewis.

Retrievers Team Defense

UMBC's defense gave up 76 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 26 two-point baskets on 54% shooting.

From beyond the arc, UMBC held their opponent to just 3 threes on 18% shooting. The opposing team also went 15/20 from the free-throw line.

Eagles Preview: Can The Eagles Secure a Home Victory?

American Eagles Recent Game/Games

The Eagles dropped to 4-6 on the season after a 63-58 road loss to Virginia on Sunday. Despite being +13 underdogs, American kept the game closer than expected.

Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Eagles scored 30 points in the 2nd half but allowed 31. The game’s combined 121 points went just over the 119.5 O/U line.

Eagles Offense Breakdown

American's offense struggled in their last game, scoring just 58 points with a field goal percentage of 38% (19/50). They connected on 11 of 31 three-point attempts, shooting 35.5% from deep, and were perfect from the free-throw line, hitting all 9 of their attempts.

Elijah Saunders led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 77.8% from the field. Matt Mayock contributed 16 points, hitting 4 of 5 threes, while Taine Murray added 13 points, connecting on 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Eagles Team Defense

American's defense gave up 63 points, allowing their opponents to shoot 46% from the field on 23 of 50 attempts. From two-point range, they managed to connect on 15 of 31 shots, shooting 48%.

From beyond the arc, American allowed 8 threes on 19 attempts, a 42% shooting performance. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 14 times, where they hit 9 free throws, shooting 64%. American gave up 6 offensive rebounds in the game.

Retrievers vs Eagles Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, UMBC has an ATS mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 75 points per game.
In their last ten games at home, the Eagles have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 5-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 61 points per game in these contests.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Retrievers have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 3-0.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting favorite, the Eagles have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.