Vermont vs UMass Lowell Prediction 1/9/25 College Basketball Picks

The Vermont Catamounts and the UMass Lowell River Hawks meet Thursday in college basketball action from Costello Athletic Center. Here’s a Vermont vs UMass Lowell prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Vermont vs UMass Lowell pick. We will examine:

The Vermont Catamounts’ recent form and player performance

The UMass Lowell River Hawks’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Vermont Catamounts

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UMass Lowell River Hawks

Recent betting trends in games played between Vermont and UMass Lowell

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Vermont vs UMass Lowell game

Vermont Catamounts Betting Preview

Vermont didn’t start out very well this year. The Catamounts did take a win over UAB in their opener, but then followed it up with losses to Auburn, Merrimack, and Iona in succession. Vermont got better with a 4-1 run over the next five, falling to only Fairfield in that time. Otherwise, it was wins over Buffalo, Delaware, Plattsburgh State, and Northeastern. A rough 1-4 stretch followed featuring a win over Miami-Ohio among losses to Brown, Yale, Colgate, and Dartmouth. Since then it’s been wins over Elms College and New Hampshire, though.

In the New Hampshire matchup on Saturday, the Catamounts held a slim 24-23 edge after halftime. Vermont got better in the second however, taking a 36-17 run to the final buzzer for a 60-40 win. Leading the team in scoring was TJ Hurley with 17 points, four boards, three assists, and three steals. Nick Fiorillo added 14 points with five boards, and Ileri Ayo-Faleye had 12 points with two rebounds and four assists in the win.

UMass Lowell River Hawks Betting Preview

Over on the UMass Lowell side, they kicked off the 2024-25 season on a 5-2 stretch. The River Hawks beat Rivier, Saint Peter’s, Fisher College, Quinnipiac, and Merrimack in that time. Following consecutive losses to Saint Louis and Central Connecticut, UMass Lowell got back on track with wins in each of the next seven games. Those victories came over UMass, Long Island U, Dartmouth, Stonehill, Boston U, Emerson, and Albany for a 12-4 record so far.

Matched up against Albany over the weekend, the River Hawks held a 37-33 deficit by the break and were in trouble. UMass Lowell woke up in the second half though, charging on a 40-32 run and taking the eventual win 73-69 in comeback fashion. Leading the team were starters Max Brooks and Quinton Mincey, each with 16 points and a combined 17 rebounds. Both Quincy Clark and Yuri Covington scored 10 points apiece, while Cam Morris chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds in the victory effort.

Why the UMass Lowell River Hawks will win

• UMass Lowell has won each of its last 16 games at Costello Athletic Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Vermont has lost the first half in four of its last five games at Costello Athletic Center.

Why the Vermont Catamounts will win

• Vermont has won each of its last 11 games against Conference opponents.

Vermont vs UMass Lowell Prediction

I’m going to stay with Vermont. Probably not touching it, though. The Catamounts were playing with fire early on against a struggling New Hampshire team in their last appearance, but eventually took the win on 40.7 percent shooting and 21 points off 19 Wildcats turnovers. Vermont is going to need to get that shooting percentage inflated here, though. They’ve been below 61 points in five of the last seven games—a 3-4 run.

As for UMass Lowell, they were out-rebounded 45-32 by a middling Albany squad in their last game and didn’t start out very well either—but everything worked out. The River Hawks shot just 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from 3-point range, though. That makes 69 or more points in each installment of this current seven-game win streak, which may be a tall order for the Catamounts to achieve. I think Vermont can get there if they play well, but it’s also quite possible that UMass Lowell could dominate at home. It’s probably not one to mess with, all things considered.