The Vermont Catamounts (27-6) and UMass Lowell River Hawks (22-9) meet in the final of the America East Tournament Saturday. Tip-off from Patrick Gymanasium is set for 11 a.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s'lines around the UMass Lowell at Vermont odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
No. 1 seed Vermont ended the regular season with a 15-1 conference record and a 15-1 home record. It beat the 8th-seeded Albany Great Danes 75-72 in the quarterfinals last Saturday, failing to cover as a 16.5-point favorite, then followed up that performance with a non-cover as a 17-point favorite in a 66-59 victory over the 4th-seeded New Hampshire Wildcats Tuesday.
Vermont is 14-17 against the spread (ATS) on the season. It has failed to cover 3 in a row yet is 5-3 ATS in its last 8.
UMass Lowell, the 2nd seed in the tournament, ended the regular season 11-5 in conference play and 10-6 on the road. It beat the 7th-seeded UMBC Retrievers 94-89 in overtime last Saturday, then took down the No. 3 seed Bryant Bulldogs 77-70 Tuesday, closing as a 7.5-point favorite in both.