The Binghamton Bearcats take on the UMBC Retrievers in Baltimore, Maryland. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
UMBC is favored by 11.5 points on the spread. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here’s my Binghamton vs. UMBC prediction and college basketball picks for February 5, 2026.
Binghamton vs UMBC Prediction
My Pick: UMBC -12 or Better
My Binghamton vs UMBC best bet is on the Retrievers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Binghamton vs. UMBC Odds
| Binghamton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -105 | 139.5 -105o / -115u | |
| UMBC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -115 | 139.5 -105o / -115u | |
- Binghamton vs UMBC spread: UMBC -11.5
- Binghamton vs UMBC over/under: 139.5
Binghamton vs UMBC College Basketball Betting Preview
I project UMBC as a 12.8-point favorite and the game with a 139.1-point total, so I show no value against the current market prices.
That said, if forced to make a wager, I’d lay the points with my beloved Retrievers.
I’ve been all over UMBC since the preseason, thinking that Jim Ferry did an excellent job building out this roster by wisely plundering the Division-II ranks for impact transfers. Guards DJ Armstrong (Texas Permian Basin) and Jah’Likai King (New Haven) have joined forces with point guard Ace Valentine to create the most dangerous backcourt trio in the Northeast Mid-Majors.
Ferry-led squads play up-tempo and run lots of rim-attack-and-kick actions through the guards.
The Bearcats turn the ball over like crazy (23%, 353rd nationally), allow plenty of run-out buckets as a result (12 fast-break points per game allowed, 35th percentile), and play lousy transition defense. In the half-court, they can’t stay in front of the dribble (1.03 PNR PPP allowed, third percentile).
Ultimately, this is a brutal matchup for Binghamton’s defense. That played out in the first meeting, with UMBC dropping 78 points (1.14 PPP) behind 20 transition points (1.46 PPP), 23 rim-attack points (1.31 PPP), and 48 paint points.
In the past, Binghamton could leverage its size and strength to rim-run, cut, and draw fouls against UMBC’s vulnerable interior defense.
However, Ferry’s offseason additions have paid significant dividends, as the Retreivers have transformed into the AmEast’s best dribble defense, and they do it all while leading the conference in free-throw rate allowed. That unit can shut down almost any ball-handler, including Binghamton’s Jeremiah Quigley, the best pure point guard and dribble creator in the conference.
In the first head-to-head meeting, Binghamton got its points via cuts and rim-runs from the bigger wings, with Zyier Beverly and Wes Peterson combining for 36 points. But Quigley was held to four points on 2-for-9 shooting with five turnovers, and the Bearcats finished the game with 60 points at .85 PPP.
Additionally, I was very impressed with Jose Roberto Tanchyn’s defense against Vermont’s Gus Yalden, and wouldn’t be surprised if the 6-foot-10 Palm Beach Atlantic transfer helps deter some of Binghamton’s rim-attacks. He’s only recently gotten in the starting lineup and has improved drastically during the stretch, and he’s such a threat because his pick-and-pop and dribble-drive ability is a great fit for Ferry’s offense.
Ultimately, this is all to say that I expect a repeat performance from the Retreivers in this head-to-head matchup.
My Pick: UMBC -12 or Better
