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Rider heads to Knott Arena in Emmitsburg to face Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET, with ESPN+ streaming this MAAC matchup. Rider is 2-16 and still looking for its first true road win at 0-10 away. Mount St. Mary’s is 8-13 with a 4-4 home record, and the Mountaineers are laying -8.5 in a game with a modest 139.5 total.
This line is basically a bet against Rider’s travel profile. Even if Mount isn’t dominant, Rider has been the kind of team that can lose games in short bursts, and those bursts matter when you’re laying close to double digits.
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Rider Broncs vs Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor updated numbers on the latest college basketball odds.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rider Broncs | +290 | +8.5 (-120) | O 139.5 (-111) |
| Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers | -400 | -8.5 (-106) | U 139.5 (-112) |
Rider Broncs Betting Form
Rider’s problem is not that they never score. It’s that they can’t string together enough good possessions to survive. The Sacred Heart game is a perfect example. Scoring 85 and still losing by 20 tells you what the defensive floor looks like when the pace is up or when they’re turning it over and giving up runouts. Burton’s 21 points and 8 assists is real production, and Coulibaly gives them another scoring layer, but it hasn’t translated into consistent stops or consistent road competitiveness.
The one thing I do like about Rider is the rebounding. They can compete on the glass, and if they win the rebound battle, it helps them slow the game down and steal possessions. Caleb Smith’s 15-rebound game shows they can generate second chances, which is basically their best path to keeping the score respectable. The issue is that rebounding alone doesn’t fix defensive rotations, and on the road, those breakdowns get punished more.
If you want a quick season-level lens on how Rider has been trending beyond the last box score, the NCAAB teams hub is useful for context and comparisons.
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers Betting Form
Mount St. Mary’s isn’t an offensive machine, and that matters when you’re laying -8.5. They average 67.6 points per game and shoot 43.1%, so they’re not the type that wins by 15 through pure scoring. Their cover path is more about controlling the game, forcing bad shots, and being the steadier team for 40 minutes.
The Quinnipiac loss (77-62) isn’t a great look, but they’ve also shown they can handle similar-tier opponents, with wins over Niagara and Canisius recently. At home, 4-4 is just “fine,” but against a team that’s 0-10 away, fine can be enough. If Mount avoids careless turnovers and keeps Rider out of transition, they’re in position to build a lead through consistent half-court execution and a few timely threes.
Rider Broncs vs Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers Matchup Breakdown
This is a game-script handicap. If the pace is controlled and the game stays in the half court, Rider has a better chance to cover +8.5 because they can rebound, grind possessions, and keep the margin small. If the pace lifts at all, Rider’s defense becomes a problem, and Mount doesn’t need to be great offensively to win by 10. They just need Rider to give them extra possessions and easy points.
The total at 139.5 is telling you the market expects something closer to a controlled MAAC game than the 105-85 type of track meet Rider just played. That’s import
ant. A lower-possession game usually favors the underdog on a big spread, but only if the underdog can actually get stops. Rider hasn’t shown that consistently, especially away from home.
Rider Broncs vs Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Mount St. Mary’s -8.5. I don’t love laying points with a team that averages 67.6, but Rider’s road profile is a hard fade. A 0-10 road record with a 2-16 overall mark typically means you’re fighting both execution and confidence. Mount doesn’t need to blow the doors off. They just need to be the steadier team and avoid letting Rider’s rebounding turn into a possession advantage.
On the total, I lean under 139.5. Both teams’ scoring averages point that way, and Mount’s best version of this game is a slower, more controlled contest where they don’t allow easy transition points. The biggest risk to the under is if Rider’s defense forces Mount into faster possessions through runouts or if the game gets foul-heavy late. Still, 139.5 feels a bit high for a matchup where neither team is typically efficient in the half court.
Best Bet: Under 139.5 (-112).
NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
MAAC games can be profitable because the margins are often small and the pace can swing totals dramatically. The key is staying consistent about what you’re betting: pace, efficiency, or situational edges like travel and home-court splits.
For more plays across the slate, check today’s college basketball picks and compare sides and totals across the board. The best results usually come from being selective, especially when the market is hanging big spreads on teams with limited offensive ceilings.
