| MATCHUP | Massachusetts Minutemen | Buffalo Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 12-8 | 13-6 |
| Where | Alumni Arena, Buffalo, NY | |
| When | Friday, January 23, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | CBSSN | |
The UMass Minutemen and the Buffalo Bulls meet Friday in college basketball action from UB Alumni Arena. Here’s a UMass vs Buffalo prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UMass vs Buffalo 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.
UMass Minutemen Betting Preview
UMass managed to go a pretty solid 8-3 over their first 11 games this year, losing to only Marshall, Charleston and Green Bay. The Minutemen hit a 3-5 run over the next eight games though, losing to Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Ohio and Northern Illinois in that time. Across the first 19 games of the season that would leave the Minutemen with an 11-8 record in the books.
On Tuesday in their matchup with Toledo the Minutemen were clinging to a 35-34 lead going into the second half. UMass hit a 49-48 run the rest of the way and eked out an 84-82 victory at home. Topping the scorers was Leonardo Bettiol with 20 points and nine rebounds. Both Jayden Ndjigue (12 points; 10 rebounds) and Daniel Hankins-Sanford (12 points; 11 rebounds) recorded double-doubles along the way.
Buffalo Bulls Betting Preview
Over on the Bulls’ side, they came out of the gate strong with eight wins in their first eight games. Buffalo would lose to St. Bonaventure and East Carolina over the next three outings before hitting another four-game win streak from December 20 to January 3. The Bulls would then drop to Ohio, Kent State and Miami-OH in their next trio, leaving the team at 13-5 in the first 18 outings.
In the Akron game on Tuesday the Bulls were in major trouble by halftime, looking up at a 43-27 deficit on the scoreboard. Buffalo was outscored 39-36 the rest of the way, so they didn’t end up getting any closer in an eventual 82-63 loss at home. Leading the team in scoring during the losing effort was Ryan Sabol with 26 points and three rebounds. Angelo Brizzi added 12 points and three boards.
Massachusetts Minutemen @ Buffalo Bulls Betting Trends: January 23, 2026
Why the Buffalo Bulls will win
- Buffalo has won six of its last eight night games.
- Massachusetts has lost three of its last four road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Massachusetts Minutemen will win
- Buffalo has lost each of its last six night games against the Mid-American Conference.
- Massachusetts has won six of its last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Massachusetts has won the first half in seven of its last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
UMass vs Buffalo Prediction
I’ll stay with Buffalo, but they’ve got to have a nice bounce-back performance here. The Bulls were demolished by a good Akron team in their latest home defeat, shooting just 35.4 percent from the field with 13 turnovers. Buffalo gave up 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent (14-of-35) from 3-point range on the other side. The Bulls aren’t looking so great right now on four straight losses; they’ve given up 82 or more points in all four of those games as well.
As for UMass, they were able to eke past an okay Toledo squad on Tuesday thanks to 49.2 percent shooting and a 33-26 rebounding edge. The foul shooting (15-of-22 for 68.2 percent) could have been slightly better, and the Minutemen coughed up 14 turnovers while giving up 54.9 percent shooting on defense. The good news is that UMass has won three of the last four games, scoring 79 or more points in all three victories.