NJIT Highlanders vs UMass Lowell River Hawks Prediction, 1/15/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: NJIT Highlanders vs UMass Lowell River Hawks

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026

Location: Kennedy Family Athletic Complex in Lowell, MA

TV: ESPN+

The NJIT Highlanders (7-11) are en route to Kennedy Family Athletic Complex on Thursday where they will take on the UMass Lowell River Hawks (8-10).

The NJIT Highlanders played Maine and ended up losing by a score of 74-70 in their last game. In relation to fouls, the Highlanders ended up finishing with 19 while Maine accounted for 17 fouls. They also converted 9 out of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc. Maine shot 70.8% at the free throw line by burying 17 of their 24 tries. Moreover, Maine grabbed 29 rebounds (4 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't have a block. Maine earned 13 dimes and had 5 steals for this contest. In regard to the defense, NJIT allowed 53.3% from the floor on 24 out of 45 shooting. They also distributed 10 assists for the matchup as well as forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Concerning rebounding, they earned 30 with 9 of them being offensive. When they shot from the free throw line, the Highlanders converted 22 of 26 shots for a rate of 84.6%. NJIT ended the contest having earned a 39.3% field goal percentage (22 out of 56) and buried 4 of their 14 three-point shots.

Sebastian Robinson is one guy who was a factor for this contest. He accumulated 24 points on 9 out of 16 shooting. He was on the court for 35 mins played and also collected 1 board. He shot 56.3% from the floor and also dished out 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Parlay Picks

NJIT enters this matchup with a record of 7-11 on the season. They currently have an average of 66.0 pts per contest (345th in Division 1) while connecting on 38.3% from the field. The Highlanders are hitting 30.9% on shots from distance (141 of 457) and 71.8% from the charity stripe. As a team, NJIT is collecting 34.3 rebounds per game and has 197 dimes this year, which ranks 338th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 13.2 times per contest and as a group they are committing 18.6 personal fouls per contest.

When they are on the defensive end, the Highlanders have forced 11.6 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 16.7 personal fouls. They are ranked 303rd in college hoops in allowing assists to their opponents with 266 surrendered on the year. The Highlanders defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 44.4% (479 of 1,079) and they concede 39.4 boards per game as a unit. They concede 34.8% on 3-point shots while they are 274th in D-1 in opponents points per game (77.0).

The last time they took the court, the UMass Lowell River Hawks walked away with a victory by a final of 73-68 when they faced Binghamton. When discussing rebounding, UMass Lowell permitted Binghamton to grab 29 in total (5 offensive). They finished the game shooting 35.7% from distance via 5 of 14 and ended up going 13 out of 19 from the free throw line (68.4%). The River Hawks permitted Binghamton to make 25 out of 54 attempts from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 46.3% for the matchup. Overall, the River Hawks ended up shooting 23 for 49 from the floor which gave them a rate of 46.9%. With regard to shooting from beyond the arc, UMass Lowell made 7 out of their 16 attempts (43.8%). They were able to convert 20 of those for a percentage of 66.7%. Binghamton was called for 25 personal fouls in this game which got the River Hawks to the free throw line for a total of 30 tries. They turned it over 11 times, while earning 8 steals in the matchup. The River Hawks were able to corral 25 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards for a total of 30 in this matchup.

Xavier Spencer was important for the River Hawks for the game. He converted 6 out of 10 in the game giving him a field goal percentage of 60.0%, and totaled 3 rebounds. He totaled 18 points in his 40 minutes of playing time, but finished this game without an assist.

UMass Lowell has a mark of 8-10 on the season. The River Hawks commit 15.2 personal fouls per contest and they shoot 65.4% from the charity stripe. They are earning an assist 13.3 times per game (254th in college) and they turn it over 13.5 times per game. UMass Lowell has accumulated 1,387 points on the campaign (77.1 per game) and they grab 36.5 boards per contest. As an offense, the River Hawks are connecting on 47.9% from the field, which is 63rd in the nation.

The UMass Lowell defense concedes 34.9% on 3-point attempts (149 of 427) and their opponents are converting on 73.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have relinquished 14.8 dimes and 32.9 boards on a nightly basis, which is ranked 272nd and 89th in Division 1. The River Hawks on the defensive end are ranked 303rd in college in PPG given up with 78.3. They are able to force 11.3 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 46.1% from the floor (299th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UMass Lowell and under the total points

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.