Halftime Report

Bryant is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 47-40 lead against UMBC.

Bryant entered the matchup having won six straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it seven, or will UMBC step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

Bryant Bulldogs @ UMBC Retrievers

Current Records: Bryant 12-9, UMBC 11-10

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena -- Baltimore, Maryland
  • TV: ESPN University
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Ticket Cost: $21.00

What to Know

UMBC will be in front of their home fans on Thursday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Bryant Bulldogs will face off in an America East battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. The Retrievers are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 82.2 points per game this season.

UMBC will bounce into Thursday's matchup after (finally) beating Vermont, who they had gone 1-9 against in their ten prior meetings. UMBC enjoyed a cozy 80-63 victory over Vermont on Saturday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Retrievers.

Even though they won, UMBC struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. They were destroyed by their opponents in that department as Vermont pulled down 18.

Meanwhile, Bryant had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 19.6 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They came out on top against the Bearcats by a score of 83-69. The over/under was set at 152 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.

UMBC pushed their record up to 11-10 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Bryant, their victory bumped their record up to 12-9.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. UMBC hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 82.2 points per game. However, it's not like Bryant struggles in that department as they've been averaging 83.2. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

UMBC came up short against Bryant when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 99-95. Will UMBC have more luck at home instead of on the road?

Odds

Bryant is a solid 5.5-point favorite against UMBC, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 168.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

UMBC and Bryant both have 2 wins in their last 4 games.

  • Feb 01, 2024 - Bryant 99 vs. UMBC 95
  • Jan 06, 2024 - Bryant 81 vs. UMBC 67
  • Feb 11, 2023 - UMBC 76 vs. Bryant 73
  • Jan 08, 2023 - UMBC 81 vs. Bryant 73