UMass Minutemen vs. Buffalo Bulls Picks and Prediction for Friday, January 23, 2026
Use Code WWWC It’s a MAC contest on the hardwood in the Empire State as the UMass Minutemen battle the Buffalo Bulls Friday night and we have you covered with our UMass vs. Buffalo prediction. UMass slipped past Toledo, 84-82, at home in their previous contest Tuesday night, failing to cover the line as a 2.5-point favorite. Buffalo fell 82-63 at home against Akron in their previous contest Tuesday night, failing to cover the line as an 8.5-point underdog. The teams have met just once previously with the Minutemen picking up a 96-67 road win February 18, 1993. Read more about this UMass vs. Buffalo prediction! Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
Minutemen Seeking to Earn Road Win
UMass won for the third time in four games as they took down Toledo at home Tuesday night in their previous contest. The Minutemen improved to 12-8 overall and stand 3-5 in MAC play on the season as they take the floor here. Against Toledo, UMass led by as many as six and trailed by as many as four in the first half before settling for a 35-34 edge at intermission. The Minutemen took their biggest lead of seven with 13:58 remaining, found themselves down 69-68 with 5:17 to play but scored the next six points to take the lead for good. UMass shot 49.2% from the floor, including nine of 22 from three-point range, and overcame allowing Toledo to shoot 54.9% in the contest. Leonardo Bettiol led the way for the Minutemen with 20 points and nine rebounds in the win.
On the season, the Minutemen are 107th in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 80.3 points per game on the year. UMass is collecting 38.1 boards a night while they stand 27th in assists by dishing out 17.8 dimes per contest. The Minutemen are average defensively as they are 205th in scoring defense by allowing 74.5 points per game. Leonardo Bettiol leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. Marcus Banks Jr. (16.1 points), K’Jei Parker (12.1 points) and Daniel Hankins-Sanford (11.5 points, 7.1 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Danny Carbuccia, Jayden Ndijgue, Dimitri Clerc, Isaiah Placide, Luka Damjanac and Dwayne Wimbley Jr. provide quality depth for coach Frank Martin. UMass shoots 46.3% from the field this season as a team. The Minutemen splash 7.7 triples per night while shooting 35% from beyond the arc, putting them 132nd in the country. UMass is putrid at the charity stripe, converting a mediocre 67.5% of their chances this season, ranking 324th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for UMass:
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
- No Key Injuries
Buffalo Trying to Get Back in Win Column
Buffalo suffered a fourth straight loss as they were downed at home by Akron in their previous contest Tuesday night. The Bulls fell to 13-6 overall and 3-4 in MAC play on the year entering this contest. Against Akron, Buffalo found themselves down 19-2 with 13:04 to play in the first half and never recovered. The Bulls trailed 43-26 at the half and were down as many as 26 in the second half as they went down in defeat. Buffalo shot 35.4% from the floor, including eight of 32 from three-point range, and was beaten 27-7 in fast break points. Ryan Sabol led the Bulls with 26 points in the loss.
The Bulls put up an average of 80.2 points per game on the year, putting them 111th in the nation in scoring offense. Buffalo is below average on the glass as they pull down an average of 32.5 boards a night (319th in the nation) and dish out 14.7 assists (152nd) per game. The Bulls are slightly below average on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 214th in scoring defense as they allowed 74.9 points per game. Ryan Sabol is the team’s second-leading scorer with 17.6 points per game on the year. Daniel Freitag (20.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists) and Angelo Brizzi (11.9 points) are the other players averaging in double figures. Tim Oboh, Noah Batchelor, Ezra McKenna, Derrick Talton Jr. and Miikhail Pocknett are other key components for George Halcovage’s rotation. Buffalo shoots 47.7% from the field as a team on the season. The Bulls average 9.6 triples a night but shoot 38.8% from beyond the arc, putting them 13th in the country. Buffalo knocks down 74.3% of their chances at the charity stripe this year, which is 99th in Division I.
Key Injury Report for Buffalo:
- Guard Daniel Freitag (concussion) is questionable.
UMass vs. Buffalo Pick
UMass vs. Buffalo Spread Pick
- UMass -1.5 (4 units)
UMass has won three of their previous four games entering this contest, which gives them some positive momentum. Buffalo started the year strong but comes in off four straight losses, including a home loss where they were beaten soundly from the opening tip. Freitag being questionable for this contest makes things murkier for the Bulls. Buffalo has been solid shooting from the perimeter but if their leading scorer doesn’t take the floor, you have to fade them accordingly. UMass is just 1-3 on the road on the year but Frank Martin’s team is tough. Give the edge to UMass as they find a way to earn the road win.
UMass vs. Buffalo Over/Under Pick
- Over 158.5 (4 units)
UMass runs a lot, ranking 22nd in tempo with 71.9 possessions a night, but they are 156th in effective field goal percentage (52.5%), 132nd in three-point shooting and 193rd in two-point shooting (52.5%) this season. For the season, the Minutemen have seen the over post a 12-7 mark in their 19 games on the year. Buffalo has seen the over post a 10-7 mark in their 17 games with a posted total on the year. The Bulls are 63rd in field goal percentage, 31st in effective field goal percentage (56.4%), 111th in scoring offense and 288th in field goal percentage defense (45.9%) on the year. Buffalo is 229th in adjusted tempo with 66.7 possessions a night on the year. Look for the Miniutemen to push the pace and put this one over the number.
Betting on College Basketball?
- Join Winners and Whiners premium for free and get a free $30 coupon with code FREE30
- Get started and wager on college hoops today with our favorite online sportsbooks
- Claim a CBB betting bonus offer with the best sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
