Boston Terriers vs. Maine Black Bears College Basketball Picks & Predictions

Boston Terriers (4-7 SU, 5-6 ATS) vs. Maine Black Bears (6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS)

When: Sunday, December 29th, 2:00 PM (ET)

Where: Memorial Gymnasium (ME), ME, Orono

TV: ESPN+

Point Spread: BOSTU +3.5/MAINE -3.5

Total: 131.5

Money Line: Boston Terriers +147/-179

Notable Injuries

Terriers

Black Bears

Recent Form

Boston Terriers Recent Game/Games

Boston’s season record dropped to 4-7 after an 83-71 loss to UMass-Lowell on Saturday. The Terriers, who were +8 underdogs, failed to cover the spread.

After a 27-27 tie at halftime, Boston allowed 56 points in the 2nd half while scoring 44. The total points for the game reached 154, surpassing the over/under line of 144.5.

Maine Black Bears Recent Game/Games

Maine dropped to 6-6 on the season after a 74-72 loss to Stony Brook on Saturday. The Black Bears were -4 favorites going into the game but failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 34-30 at halftime, Maine scored 42 points in the 2nd half but allowed 40. The total points for the game ended at 146, surpassing the O/U line of 137.5.

Analysis

In their recent game, the Boston Terriers put up 71 points, shooting 50% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%. They hit 57.1% of their two-point attempts and 36.8% from beyond the arc while connecting on 83.3% of their free throws.

Martin Somerville led the way with 22 points, hitting 6 of 9 from three-point range. Max Brooks added 20 points and seven rebounds, shooting 71.4% from the field. Miles Brewster contributed 19 points despite shooting just 28.6% from deep.

Boston’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 83 points on 58% shooting from the field. The opposing team found success inside, hitting 64% of their two-point attempts, going 24/37.

From beyond the arc, Boston allowed 10 threes on 21 attempts, a 47% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 6 times, where they made five free throws, shooting 83%. Boston gave up nine offensive rebounds.

Maine’s offense put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 45.5% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range, hitting 12 of 27 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 56.4%, and they connected on 76.9% of their free throws, going 10 for 13 at the line.

Joe Octave led the way with 24 points, hitting 3 of 5 from deep, while Jaden Clayton and Kellen Tynes each added 15 points, with Clayton also hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Maine finished with 19 assists and eight offensive rebounds in the game.

Despite Maine’s defensive efforts, they gave up 74 points, with their opponents shooting 46% from the field. The Black Bears allowed 16 two-point field goals on 35 attempts, a 45% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Maine’s defense couldn’t contain the three-point shooting, as their opponents hit 7 of 14 threes, shooting 50%. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 21 attempts, a 95% success rate. Maine gave up nine offensive rebounds in the game.

Betting Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Boston has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 63 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• Across their five previous home games, Maine has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight-up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 70 points per game.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Boston has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 5-5 straight up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Black Bears have a straight up record of 7-3. But their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Each team is coming off losses heading into Sunday afternoon’s matchup, and Maine is favored by -3.5 at home. Boston was right in there last game, but fell apart in the 2nd half. Maine, on the other hand, nearly beat Stony Brook, and I see them getting back on track today. I think -3.5 is good value for the Black Bears, and I like them to cover on Sunday.