Teams coming off double-digit losses meet in a nonconference matchup on Tuesday when the Sacred Heart Pioneers face the Rhode Island Rams. The Pioneers (3-6), who are coming off a 79-66 loss at Brown on Sunday, tied for third with Mount St. Mary’s at 9-7 in the Northeast Conference and were 9-9 overall in a coronavirus-shortened 2020-21 season. Sacred Heart has lost four of five. The Rams (6-3), who lost at Providence 66-52 on Saturday, finished 10th last season at 7-10 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and were 10-15 overall.
Tipoff from Thomas M. Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I., is set for 6 p.m. ET. Rhode Island leads the all-time series 1-0, posting a 56-50 win in 2005. The Rams are 15.5-point favorites in the latest Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 138. Before locking in any Rhode Island vs. Sacred Heart picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rhode Island vs. Sacred Heart. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and betting trends for Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island:
- Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island spread: Rhode Island -15.5
- Sacred Heart vs. Rhode Island over-under: 138 points
- SHU: The Pioneers are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games following an ATS loss
- URI: The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games
Why Rhode Island can cover
The Rams have won 13 consecutive nonconference home games, dating back to the 2018-19 season, and are 15-1 at home against non-Atlantic 10 Conference foes in four seasons under coach David Cox. Senior guard Jeremy Sheppard leads the Rhode Island offense, averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He is also nearly automatic at the free-throw line, connecting on 88 percent of his foul shots. Sheppard has reached double digits in six of nine games, including a 21-point performance in a 94-59 win against Georgia State on Nov. 27.
Also averaging double-digit scoring is sophomore center Makhel Mitchell, who is averaging 11 points, five rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is connecting on 60.9 percent of his field goals and 70 percent of his free throws. He leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks 11th nationally with 28 blocks, and is second in the conference at 3.11 blocks per game. In 34 career games for the Rams, Mitchell has 70 blocks. As a team, the Rams average 7.2 blocks per game.
Why Sacred Heart can cover
The Pioneers are led by junior guard Tyler Thomas, who averages a team-high 19.3 points. Thomas has reached double-digit scoring in eight of nine games, including a season-high 29 points in a 75-70 loss to NJIT on Nov. 30. He has scored 20 or more points in four games and has registered one double-double. For the season, he is also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is connecting on 88.9 percent of his foul shots.
Also powering Sacred Heart is senior guard Aaron Clarke, who averages 17 points, three assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. He is also a solid free-throw shooter, connecting on 83.9 percent of his foul shots. Clarke is also connecting on 47.1 percent of his field goals, including 44.4 percent from 3-point range. In Sunday’s game at Brown, he matched his career high in scoring with 24 points off 9 of 14 shooting.
