Albany vs UMass Lowell Prediction 1/3/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Albany Great Danes and the UMass Lowell River Hawks meet Saturday in college basketball action from Costello Athletic Center. Here’s an Albany vs UMass Lowell prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Albany vs UMass Lowell pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Albany Great Danes Betting Preview

Albany limped to a 2-6 start this year, falling versus Marquette, UMass, Rhode Island, Siena, Colgate and Fordham. Since then it’s been a 2-5 run featuring losses to Columbia, Yale, Florida Atlantic, Cornell and South Carolina among wins over SUNY-Oneonta and Stony Brook. That gives the Great Danes a 4-11 record this year across their first 15 games.

In the South Carolina game on Tuesday, the Great Danes entered the second half trailing 48-33. Albany closed on a 48-34 deficit, limping to the blowout loss 96-67 in the end. Amir Lindsey led the team with 18 points, four assists and one rebound. Okechukwu Okeke added 12 points with seven rebounds, while Nas Muhammad had 10 points in 22 minutes of work.

UMass Lowell River Hawks Betting Preview

Over on the UMass Lowell side, they had a rough start at 1-6 this year. The losses were versus UConn, New Haven, Columbia, Wake Forest, Bradley and Saint Peter’s. It’s been a 4-4 run since then with wins over Stonehill, Emerson, Fisher College and Sacred Heart among losses to UMass, Quinnipiac, Boston U and Iowa, giving UMass Lowell a 5-10 overall record so far this season.

In the Iowa matchup on Monday the River Hawks were down by 17 points by the break. UMass Lowell was outscored 43-32 the rest of the way, leading to a 90-62 blowout loss. Tops in scoring was Angel Montas with 23 points and six rebounds. Both Xavier Spencer (three rebounds) and Darrel Yepdo (five assists) each turned in 10 points in the loss as well.

UAlbany Great Danes @ UMass Lowell River Hawks Betting Trends: January 3, 2026

Why the UMass Lowell River Hawks will win

• UMass Lowell has won each of its last 21 day games at Kennedy Family Athletic Complex against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UAlbany has lost five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UAlbany has lost the first half in each of its last four games at Kennedy Family Athletic Complex against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the UAlbany Great Danes will win

• UMass Lowell has lost four of its last five games against Conference opponents.
• UAlbany has won each of its last three games against UMass Lowell following a road loss.
• UMass Lowell has lost the first half in three of its last four day games.

Albany vs UMass Lowell Prediction

I’ll lean toward UMass Lowell, but there’s not a lot to get excited about here if you’re not a fan of either team. The River Hawks are coming off a blowout loss to a great Iowa team, shooting 48 percent from the field with a 54-36 deficit in the paint and a rough 9-of-18 from the line. UMass Lowell gave up 58.2 percent shooting on the other side, so there was little chance of them staying anywhere close. The River Hawks have scored pretty well lately though, hitting 71 or more points in four of the last five games.

As for Albany, they gave up 60 percent shooting and had 15 turnovers in their blowout loss to South Carolina. The good news is that the Danes were competitive on the boards (a 26-25 deficit) and in the paint (32-32). Albany has 71 or more points in four of the last five games themselves, so we could have a good-sized total here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: UMass Lowell River Hawks TBA