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UMBC vs. Sacred Heart prediction, odds, line, time: 2023 college basketball picks, best bets by proven model – CBS Sports
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Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena hosts a late morning tip on Friday in Baltimore. The matchup is the first of the day in Division 1 men’s basketball, and the UMBC Retrievers host the Sacred Heart Pioneers. UMBC is 1-2 overall and 1-1 in home games to begin the 2023-24 campaign. Sacred Heart is 2-1 overall and 1-1 away from home.
For this 11 a.m. ET tip, SportsLine consensus lists UMBC as a 1-point favorite. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 157.5 in the latest Sacred Heart vs. UMBC odds. Before you make any Sacred Heart vs. UMBC picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 season on an 87-56 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Sacred Heart vs. UMBC and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Sacred Heart vs. UMBC:
Sacred Heart is led by a pair of veteran wing players that provide the team with plenty of firepower. Senior guard Nico Galette leads the way for the Pioneers, leading the team in scoring (15.4 points per game) and steals (1.6 per game) last season. Galette is also leading the team this season, averaging 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. From there, junior forward Tanner Thomas takes on a prominent role, leading the team with 8.7 rebounds per game this season while also averaging 15.3 points per contest.
Sacred Heart is also off to a scalding-hot start from 3-point range, making 47.5% of long-range attempts to rank in the top of the country. The Pioneers also have only 10.3 turnovers per contest, and Sacred Heart is above-average when it comes to generating free throw attempts. That could be a sizable advantage against UMBC, with the Retrievers giving up more than 22 free throw attempts per game on defense so far this season. See which team to pick here.
UMBC is coming off a lopsided win in its last outing, toppling Penn State-York by shooting 50% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. That included a 52-point second half, and the Retrievers have a dynamic guard in Dion Brown. He is averaging 17.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season, including a 28-point showing against Louisville.
UMBC is shooting 39.0% from 3-point range this season, and the Retrievers are generating more offensive rebounds (12.3 per game) than turnovers (11.0 per game). Sacred Heart is allowing 38.7% shooting from 3-point distance, opening a pathway to continued perimeter success. On defense, UMBC is creating 16.0 turnovers per game while allowing only 10.0 assists per contest. The Retrievers have given up only 28.3% 3-point shooting, and Sacred Heart is making fewer than 48% of attempts inside the arc. See which team to pick here.
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, with only one player projected to score 14 points or more. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Sacred Heart vs. UMBC, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Sacred Heart vs. UMBC spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks dating back to last season, and find out.
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