UMass Lowell vs. Hartford Prediction and Odds (Hawks Set to Soar in Season Finale)

The UMass Lowell River Hawks hit the road tonight against the Hartford Hawks in American East Conference action at 6 p.m. ET.

The Hawks are currently 9-8 in conference play while the River Hawks are just 6-11. Neither has anything to play for other than pride and the chance to beat a conference rival.

Things have not been going UMass’ way of late as the River Hawks have lost four of their last five games and are on a two-game losing streak heading into their regular-season finale. The Hawks, on the other hand, will have the luxury of ending their season at home where they have a two-game win streak heading into this conference showdown.

The oddsmakers have set a very close line, so we should be in for a highly competitive game.

Here are the odds for this AE matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

UMass Lowell vs. Hartford Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

• UMass Lowell +1 (-110)
• Hartford -1 (-110)

Moneyline:

• UMass Lowell -105
• Hartford -115

Total: 137.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

UMass Lowell vs. Hartford Prediction and Pick

UMass Lowell enters this matchup with a clear advantage on the defensive side of the ball. The River Hawks rank 92nd in scoring defense while their opponents sit at 247th. But, Hartford does a few things better that I believe are more important than these blanket stats for scoring stats.

With the spread so short, any little edge can make or break this bet. Usually, I turn to free-throw shooting in this situation but both teams are equally bad and shoot around 68 percent from the charity stripe. However, the Hawks do something that their opponent struggles with mightily.

Hartford is the 17th best three-point shooting team in the country while UMass is 314th in that category. Hartford also pulls down more defensive rebounds, gives up fewer turnovers, and keeps fouls to a minimum with just 15 personal fouls per game on average.

These slight advantages are enough for me to feel good about taking Hartford at home to end the season on a high note. 

Pick: Hartford -1 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE