The Massachusetts Minutemen (10-19, 3-13 A10) close out their home schedule at William D. Mullins Center against the Richmond Spiders (12-17, 6-10 A10). Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
Richmond Spiders at Massachusetts Minutemen ATS Odds
Both teams fell in their last matchup. The Minutemen lost to the Duquesne Dukes, 80-73, while the Spiders lost a winnable game to the VCU Rams, 69-66.
Richmond was lights out from beyond the arc (10-20; 50.0 percent) while Massachusetts had an offensive rebounding percentage of 55.6 (above their season average of 29.8). Jonathan Laurent put together a good game for Massachusetts with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jacob Gilyard had a solid performance for Richmond, contributing 23 points and six assists.
The Spiders won the lone game between these two teams last year, 90-65. Richmond had a much better turnover percentage (8.1 vs. 19.8). Massachusetts, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (25.7 vs. 21.4). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
Massachusetts may have trouble getting to the foul line in this showdown. The Minutemen rank 247th in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.217, while Richmond ranks 55th in FTA rate allowed (0.195). Ball security should be an advantage for the Spiders. They rank 26th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.2 percent), while the Minutemen force the 77th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ turnover percentage of 17.4 percent).
Richmond Spiders vs. Massachusetts Minutemen Free Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Massachusetts, ATS Winner – Massachusetts, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Richmond averages 15.6 assists per game, which ranks 38th in the nation. Massachusetts ranks 227th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- The Minutemen rank 31st in three pointers allowed per game (19.2) while the Spiders rank 129th (21.7).
- The Spiders rank 33rd in steals per game (7.8) while the Minutemen rank 217th (5.0).
- Massachusetts ranks 196th in rebounds per game (34.4) while Richmond ranks 299th (29.1).
Bettings Trends:
- The Spiders’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.2, up from 0.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Minutemen have scored an average of 68.6 points per game (1.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.0 points per game (5.1 above their season average).
