Maine Black Bears vs Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks Matchup

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

Maine vs Massachusetts-Lowell Prediction

Looking to win big? The Black Bears and River Hawks face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The River Hawks are hosting the game at Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, MA. The over/under for this America East conference contest is set at 146.5 points, with Massachusetts-Lowell being favored by -2.5 at home against Maine.

Maine vs. Massachusetts-Lowell Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Maine Black Bears at Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks
Where: Lowell at Costello Athletic Center
Date: Thursday, January 23rd
Betting Odds MASLOW -2.5, MAINE +126 | MASLOW -152 O/U 146.5

Black Bears Preview: Can the Black Bears Pull Off a Road Win?

Maine Black Bears Recent Game/Games

Maine improved to 10-8 on the season with an 87-62 win over UMBC on Saturday. The Black Bears were +2 underdogs going into the game but covered the spread with the victory. The total points for the game were 149, just under the O/U line of 150.5.

Maine took control early, leading 45-27 at halftime. They kept up the pressure in the 2nd half, scoring 42 points while allowing 35.

Black Bears Offense Breakdown

Maine's offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 87 points with a 56.2% field goal percentage and an effective field goal percentage of 65.6%. They connected on 61% of their two-point attempts and 47.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes in the game.

AJ Lopez led the way with 24 points, shooting 71.4% from the field and 60% from three. Quion Burns added 19 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 61.5% overall. Kellen Tynes contributed 7 assists to go along with his 11 points.

Black Bears Team Defense

Despite Maine's defense giving up 62 points, they managed to hold their opponent to 41% shooting from the field, with 24 made baskets on 58 attempts. Inside the arc, the Black Bears allowed 17 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, a 43% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Maine's defense gave up 7 threes on 19 attempts, with their opponent shooting 36%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 9 times, where they converted 7 for 77%. Maine allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

River Hawks Preview: Can the River Hawks Lock in a Home Win?

Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks Recent Game/Games

The River Hawks dropped to 10-6 on the season after an 85-62 road loss to Bryant on Saturday. Going into the game as +4 underdogs, they not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

UMass-Lowell trailed 45-28 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 34 points while allowing 40. The game’s total points reached 147, falling short of the 162.5-point O/U line.

River Hawks Offense Breakdown

In their last game, UMass Lowell struggled offensively, shooting just 29.4% from the field and 23.1% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 33.8%, and they hit 64% of their free throws, going 16-for-25 from the line.

Barry Evans led the River Hawks with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Earl Timberlake contributed 14 points and 18 rebounds. Connor Withers added 15 points, hitting 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.

River Hawks Team Defense

Massachusetts-Lowell struggled defensively, giving up 85 points on 45% shooting from the field. The River Hawks allowed their opponent to hit 55% of their two-point attempts, going 26/47 inside the arc.

From three-point range, Massachusetts-Lowell held their opponent to 28% shooting, with 8 made threes on 28 attempts. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 12 times, where they converted 9 free throws for 75%. The River Hawks gave up 17 offensive rebounds.

Black Bears vs River Hawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Maine has averaged 66 points per game while allowing 62. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
In their last ten games at home, the River Hawks have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 70 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five games as the underdog, the Black Bears have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the River Hawks have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.