UMass at Richmond: 2/23/21 College Basketball Picks and Prediction
Photo by David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Richmond Spiders (12-5) vs UMass Minutemen (7-4)
Game Info: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 6:00 pm (Robins Center)
Betting Odds: Richmond Spiders -8.5 -- Over/Under: 151.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The UMass Minutemen will trave to the Robins Center to take on the Richmond Spiders this Tuesday night in College Basketball action.
The UMass Minutemen won their 2nd straight game and improved to 7-4 on the season after defeating the Rhode Island Rams, 75-63, on February 6th. UMass was outstanding defensively against Rhode Island and was able to pull away in the 2nd half after taking a 70-60 lead with 2:35 left in regulation. UMass shot 44.9% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc while Rhode Island shot 40.9% from the field and 0.0% from beyond the arc. UMass was outrebounded by Rhode Island by a 40-38 margin, however, did force 14 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Minutemen was Carl Pierre who had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, & 1 steal.
On the season, UMass is averaging 77.9 ppg on 41.4% shooting from the field. The Minutemen are averaging 8.7 three-pointers per game on 32.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UMass has been led by Tre Mitchell (20.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.3 bpg), Carl Pierre (13.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.0 spg), Noah Fernandes (11.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.9 spg), & Javohn Garcia (10.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg).
Defensively, UMass is allowing their opponents to average 71.5 ppg on 46.1% shooting from the field. The Minutemen have a rebound margin of -1.2 and a turnover margin of 3.8.
The Richmond Spiders improved to 12-5 on the season after defeating the Duquesne Dukes, 79-72, this past Saturday. Richmond led by a 40-33 margin at halftime and was able to take the lead for good after a pair of FT’s by Jacob Gilyard gave the Spiders a 74-72 lead with :48 seconds left in regulation. Richmond shot 55.1% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc while Duquesne shot 44.8% from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc. Richmond was outrebounded by Duquesne by a 31-28 margin and forced 11 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Spiders was Jacob Gilyard who had 17 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, & 2 steals.
On the season, Richmond is averaging 76.1 ppg on 48.2% shooting from the field. The Spiders are averaging 7.6 three-pointers per game on 35.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Richmond has been led by Blake Francis (16.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.4 spg), Grant Golden (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.7 apg), Tyler Burton (12.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.1 spg), & Jacob Gilyard (11.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 3.5 spg).
Defensively, Richmond is allowing their opponents to average 69.0 ppg on 46.6% shooting from the field. The Spiders have a rebound margin of -4.6 and a turnover margin of 5.2.
The Minutemen are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games and 13-6-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Spiders are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
UMass has not played in two weeks, however, this is still my dark horse team to win the A-10 this season as they have an explosive offense that ranks 49th in scoring offense led by one of the best players in the A-10 in Tre Mitchell. Richmond is the more balanced team, however, the Spiders have allowed opponents to shoot the ball well against this season as Richmond comes into this game ranked just 299th in defensive FG%. It is always a bit of risk taking a team that has been off for a few weeks, however, UMass has been solid on the road this season posting a 3-1 record and as I think they have enough offensive talent to keep this game competitive, I think the play here to take the Minutemen and the points. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick UMass Minutemen +8.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
