One team will earn its first victory in Saturday’s Connecticut Huskies vs. Massachusetts Minutemen contest. The Huskies enter with an 0-6 record compared to the Minutemen at 0-5. UConn is a narrow favorite, but anything can happen when these defeated teams compete.
| Game: Connecticut (0-6) at Massachusetts (0-5)
Location: Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Television: ESPN+ |
Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| Connecticut | -3 ½ | -170 | 55 ½ | N/A |
| Massachusetts | +3 ½ | +150 | 55 ½ | N/A |
Head-to-Head
If you’re going to bet online, then you have to know the head-to-head stats between the teams.
The last time UConn battled UMass was in 2019 in Massachusetts on October 26. The Huskies only went 2-10 in 2019, but they dominated the Minutemen by a score of 56-35. UConn did not play in 2020 because of COVID-19, but they were supposed to host UMass based on the deal between the two teams.
Jack Zergiotis started at quarterback for UConn and was 18-of-27 for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Zergiotis started the season as QB1, but he has been substituted because of poor results.
Kevin Mensah rushed 19 times for 164 yards and scored five touchdowns. Look for Mensah to have a big day on Saturday.
Connecticut Huskies
Next game: vs. Yale
Last Game
UConn lost by two points to Vanderbilt, which was winless at the time of the game in Week 5. The Commodores defeated the Huskies 30-28, but UConn covered the spread with ease. The Huskies have been admirable ATS over the past few weeks after a terrible start.
Steven Krajewski was the star of the game for Connecticut, completing 18 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns. He also turned the ball over twice, which made the difference in the football game. Nevertheless, the team would not have been in the game without his downfield shots.
Injury Report
Tyler Phommachanh, the Huskies’ freshman quarterback, was injured in the first quarter against Vanderbilt. He started against the Commodores and walked off on his own power but will not play Saturday.
Massachusetts Minutemen
Next game: at Florida State
Last Game
UMass needs a win because it will travel to Florida State next week, and this will be a beat down. In Massachusetts’ last game, they were defeated 45-7 by Toledo, and the Rockets are a 3-2 team in the MAC.
The Minutemen only gained 134 total yards between their 134 through the air and 23 on the ground. Their average gain per play was 2.6 yards, which might affect college football odds here.
Injury Report
UMass started the season very injured, but they are getting healthy. Nevertheless, it has not helped their performance and will definitely impact how sportsbooks see them coming into this match.
Betting on the Game
Point Spread
There is a value on all three major markets in this game. For the spread, UConn has performed well at 3-3 on the year. Massachusetts has not been terrible at 2-3 on the season ATS. However, these spreads are slightly skewed because UConn and Massachusetts are always heavy underdogs.
Connecticut has been favored in one game this season against Holy Cross, and they were unable to cover -3 to an FCS school. They have also performed better ATS on the road with a 2-1 record, and if you still are not sold, they have covered for three straight weeks.
UMass was able to cover early in the year, but they are on a two-game losing streak. UConn will be in a different position, having to cover as favorites. Both teams have been tested by great programs in 2021 because of their independent schedules.
I think UConn is a better team, but they will have to overcome the loss of Phommachanh, who took over the starting job against Army. His presence provided a new life to the offense, but Krajewski was respectable when he entered the game. Just something to think about before wrapping up our college football picks.
If UConn can limit the turnovers, they should cover. The program has been so unreliable, though, so it’s hard to tell what they will do as favorites in a game where they have a better roster.
Massachusetts has value on the spread because it’s +3 ½. I do not think they have the team to cover, but these teams are both deflated. Whatever team shows up is going to have the advantage. Playing at UMass is no advantage for the Minutemen because this is not SEC football.
It’s an hour trip from Storrs, CT, to Alumni Stadium as well, so this is a very easy road trip. UConn prevails and covers against the spread, earning their first win of the season.
Moneyline
If UConn controls the football, they will win this game. UMass’ offense has looked atrocious all season, which will hurt them because Connecticut can score points. They usually cannot match other teams, but they have the ability to put the ball in the endzone.
UConn on the money line is the safe bet, but there is more value on the point spread. If you’re interested in online gambling opting for the point spread seems like a no-brainer.
Over/Under
The total of 55½ is relatively high. The total is hard to read because the teams are a combined 6-5 against the over. When games have gone over, they have not contributed. These games have come against Power Five teams running up the score.
The defenses in this game are weak, but the offenses are not tremendous, and they frequently make mistakes. Betting on the total is a risk for this reason. Last week, when UConn played a bad Vanderbilt team, the game went over the total.
However, I think this game stays under because UMass’ scoring will be limited.
