The Massachusetts Minutemen will look to boost their win total and cover the spread when they tip off against the Butler Bulldogs at Mullins Center on Thursday in NCAA hoops play.

Supporters of the Bulldogs have watched them go 22-7 and 16-11 ATS on the year, while the Minutemen are at 18-9 and 12-15 ATS. In totals betting, the Minutemen are 12-15, while the Bulldogs have a 15-11 mark.



View Butler vs Massachusetts Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Minutemen sit at No. 91 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Bulldogs sit at No. 49 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Bulldogs will win this game 75-72.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Bulldogs rank No. 82 in NCAA Division 1 with 36.8 per game. That compares with Massachusetts’s No. 70 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Massachusetts is college basketball's No. 65-ranked team at 7.3 per game, while the Bulldogs rate No. 110 with 6.8 per game.

Defensively, Butler features the nation's No. 108-rated defense on the road, allowing 66.7 points per game. Massachusetts, meanwhile, comes in at No. 54 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Butler, they were an 84-52 loser as they battled Virginia Commonwealth on the road. They failed to cover in the match as an 8-point underdog. Butler was crushed on Saturday, getting blown out by Virginia Commonwealth and falling by an 84-52 score at Siegel Center.

In their last action, Massachusetts was a 77-72 Sportsbook on the road against Xavier. They covered the 4-point spread as underdogs. Terrell Vinson scored 20 points leading the Minutemen to a 77-72 victory over Xavier at Cintas Center on Saturday.


Butler Bulldogs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Xavier are 4-3
After playing Virginia Commonwealth are 0-1
After a loss are 9-1

Massachusetts Minutemen Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Rhode Island are 4-6
After playing Xavier are 4-6
After a win are 6-4

A few Bulldogs at Minutemen trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Butler's last 5 games on the road
Butler is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Massachusetts is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Massachusetts's last 6 games
Massachusetts is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games


Next up:
Butler home to Xavier, Saturday, March 9
Massachusetts at Rhode Island, Saturday, March 9