La Salle Explorers vs Massachusetts Minutemen Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our La Salle vs Massachusetts NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Amherst.

La Salle vs Massachusetts Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Explorers versus the Minutemen? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on USA. The game will be played at William D. Mullins Memorial Center in Amherst, MA. The over/under for this game is set at 156.5 points, and Massachusetts is favored by -2.5 vs. La Salle in a Atlantic 10 conference matchup.

La Salle vs. Massachusetts Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: La Salle Explorers at Massachusetts Minutemen
Where: Amherst at William D. Mullins Memorial Center
Date: Sunday, January 19th
Betting Odds UMASS -2.5, LASAL +114 | UMASS -139 O/U 156.5

Explorers Preview: Does La Salle Have A Chance at William D. Mullins Memorial Center?

La Salle Explorers Recent Game/Games

La Salle improved to 9-7 on the season with a 79-76 home win over Davidson on Wednesday, January 15th. The Explorers entered the game as +2 underdogs and covered the spread with the victory. The total points for the game reached 155, surpassing the over/under line of 148.5.

La Salle rallied after trailing 41-33 at halftime, outscoring Davidson 46-35 in the second half to secure the win.

Explorers Offense Breakdown

La Salle put up 79 points in their recent game, shooting 45.2% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 51.6%. They connected on 52.5% of their two-point attempts, while hitting 31.8% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-22 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, the Explorers shot 69.6%, making 16 of 23 attempts.

Deuce Jones led the way with 23 points, shooting 64.3% overall and 50% from three. Reed Bailey added 21 points, hitting 8 of 12 shots, including his lone three-point attempt. Bobby Durkin contributed 20 points, making 6 threes on 15 attempts, while Daeshon Shepherd connected on 4 of 7 from deep, finishing with 19 points.

Explorers Team Defense

La Salle's defense gave up 76 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field, including 52% on two-point attempts (21/40). They did manage to hold them to 31% from beyond the arc, as the opposing team went 7/22 on threes.

At the free-throw line, La Salle's opponents shot 69%, hitting 16 of 23 attempts. The Explorers also allowed 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Minutemen Preview: Will Massachusetts Find a Way to Win at Home?

Massachusetts Minutemen Recent Game/Games

Massachusetts improved to 6-11 on the season with a 120-118 win over Fordham on Wednesday. The Minutemen, favored by 1 point, covered the spread in this one.

UMass led 39-31 at halftime but allowed Fordham to score 48 points in the 2nd half while scoring 40 themselves. The game’s total points of 238 went well over the pregame O/U line of 154.5.

Minutemen Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, the Minutemen poured in 120 points, shooting 42.9% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. They connected on 11 of 27 three-point attempts and went 37 of 57 from the free-throw line, hitting 64.9% of their foul shots. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 50%, with 22 offensive rebounds and 12 assists.

Rahsool Diggins led the way with 46 points, hitting 8 of 13 threes at a 61.5% clip. Jackie Johnson III added 36 points, though he struggled from deep, making just 4 of 18 attempts. Daniel Rivera contributed 29 points and 12 rebounds, hitting his only three-point attempt.

Minutemen Team Defense

Even though Massachusetts held their opponent to 35% shooting, they gave up 118 points. The Minutemen allowed 30 field goals on 85 attempts, including 20 two-pointers on 51 tries (39%) and 10 three-pointers on 34 attempts (29%).

Massachusetts sent their opponent to the line 65 times, where they hit 48 free throws for 73%. The Minutemen also struggled on the boards, allowing 23 offensive rebounds.

Explorers vs Minutemen Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although La Salle has a straight up record of 1-4 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
Massachusetts has a 2-3 record in their last five home games. In this stretch, they averaged 76 points per game while allowing 84. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
As the betting underdog, the Explorers have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. La Salle posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
Through their last three games as the favorite, the Minutemen have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.