Nothing beats MACtion Tuesday, especially when there is a team inside the top 25. The 20-0 No. 25 Miami of Ohio Redhawks host the UMass Minutemen, looking to keep their perfect season alive after yet another cinematic game against Kent State last week. Meanwhile, UMass is riding a two game winning streak over Toledo and Buffalo. Will the Redhawks stay perfect, or will the Minutemen finally be the team to upset them? Who knows, but there should be a ton of points!
Buckle up folks, this one is going to be a zip fest. Both teams enter tonight's matchup as two of the fastest teams in the entire country. At home this season, the Redhawks are the 27th fastest team in the nation, while the Minutemen rank 24th overall and 65th away from their home gym. This game should be filled with a massive amount of scoring opportunities and possessions. Both teams are also among the most consistent squads in the country, per Haslametrics. He states, "Both of these squads are pretty consistent from an efficiency perspective. UMass ranks 44th in the country in consistency, while Miami (OH) is presently 78th in that category."
The perfect 20-0 Redhawks own the MAC's number 1 offense, ranking number 2 in the nation in eFG% offense. Overall, they sit inside the top 25 in two point, three point, and free throw percentage. They are also top 100 in free throw rate offense, turnover percentage, and offensive block percentage. Defensively, they have their fair share of struggles, ranking 230th in eFG% defense at home. They also sit 234th in both three-point percentage defense and two-point percentage defense.
UMass, on the other side, owns one of the weaker offenses in the conference. However, there are still some bright spots. Through 10 games away from their home gym, the Minutemen rank 123rd in eFG% offense, 116th in three-point percentage, and 131st in two-point percentage. On the defensive end, UMass has a very hard time guarding the interior and keeping their hands to themselves, ranking bottom 75 in both areas. They are allowing opponents to shoot over 58% from the floor. This defensive unit also does not force turnovers, ranking 210th in turnover rate defense.
Miami is coming off back to back overtime wins, but they have had a full week of rest, so there should not be any tired legs. However, they now have a massive target on them with that number next to their name, meaning every opponent will be fully locked in. The Minutemen should come out ready to go toe to toe with the Redhawks. I do not want to trust them covering the 10.5, but I do like them to score some points.
