NJIT Highlanders vs UMBC Retrievers Matchup

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

UMBC vs NJIT Prediction

Looking to win big? The Retrievers and Highlanders face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Highlanders are hosting the game at NJIT Wellness and Events Center in Newark, NJ. UMBC is favored by -7.5 in this America East conference contest against NJIT. The game's over/under currently sits at 145.5 points.

UMBC vs. NJIT Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UMBC Retrievers at NJIT Highlanders
Where: Newark at NJIT Wellness and Events Center
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds UMBC -7.5, UMBC -370 | NJIT +282 O/U 145.5

Retrievers Preview: Will UMBC Live Up to Expectations on the Road?

UMBC fell to 6-8 on the season after an 87-82 road loss to Binghamton on Saturday. The Retrievers entered the game as -3 favorites but failed to cover the spread.

UMBC trailed 44-43 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, where they were outscored 43-39. The game’s total points of 169 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 148.5.

Retrievers Offense Breakdown

UMBC put up 82 points in their last game, shooting 55.2% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 58.6%. Their two-point shooting was particularly strong at 62.8%, while they hit 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 5-for-15. At the free-throw line, they connected on 76.5%, making 13 of 17 attempts.

Chris Walker was a key contributor, hitting 4 of 7 threes and finishing with 21 points. Bryce Johnson led the team with 23 points, and Gavin Walsh grabbed 17 rebounds to go along with his 18 points. Nehemiah Benson was efficient, hitting 7 of 8 shots in just 20 minutes of play.

Retrievers Team Defense

UMBC's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 55% shooting from the field. The Retrievers allowed 26 two-point baskets on 43 attempts, a 60% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, UMBC's opponent shot 40%, hitting 6 of 15 three-point attempts. The Retrievers also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 free throws, an 81% rate.

Highlanders Preview: Can the Highlanders Pull the Upset at Home?

NJIT Highlanders Recent Game/Games

The Highlanders dropped to 2-12 on the season after a 90-53 road loss to the Huskies on Sunday, December 29th. NJIT entered the game as +25.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 46-26 at halftime, NJIT managed just 27 points in the 2nd half while allowing 44. The game’s total points of 143 went over the pre-game line of 137.5.

Highlanders Offense Breakdown

NJIT struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 53 points with a field goal percentage of 37.3% and an effective field goal percentage of 39.2%. Their three-point shooting was particularly poor, hitting only 3 of 17 attempts for 17.6%, and they also struggled from the free-throw line, making just 54.5% of their 22 attempts.

Sebastian Robinson had a rough shooting night, going 5 for 22 overall and missing all 4 of his three-point attempts, though he did contribute 3 assists. Tim Moore Jr. was efficient, hitting 4 of 5 shots, while Great Osobor added 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting and grabbed 6 rebounds. Vazoumana Diallo also chipped in 12 points and 5 assists, shooting 5 for 8 from the field.

Highlanders Team Defense

Despite NJIT's defensive efforts, they allowed 90 points on 55% shooting from the field. The Highlanders struggled to contain their opponent inside, giving up 64% shooting on two-point attempts (24/37).

From beyond the arc, NJIT's defense allowed 10 threes on 24 attempts, a 41% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 12 for 85%.

Retrievers vs Highlanders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

UMBC has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 83 points per game while allowing 83. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
When looking at their past ten home matchups, NJIT has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 61 per game. The team went 1-9 overall in these games.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Highlanders have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Retrievers have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.