Offense meets defense when the No. 5 Dayton Flyers (23-2, 12-0 A10) visit VCU to take on the Rams (17-8, 7-5 A10). The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Dayton opens as a 2.5 point favorite over VCU with a total of 143 at Pointsbet Indiana Sportsbook.
Dayton Flyers vs. VCU Rams ATS Prediction
In the Flyers’ last matchup, they defeated the Massachusetts Minutemen, 71-63. Dayton’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over Massachusetts. The Flyers had a rate of 0.598 (above their season average of 0.596), while the Minutemen posted a mark of 0.413 (below their season average of 0.497). Dayton was led by Obi Toppin, who was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
The Rams were blown out by the Richmond Spiders in their last matchup, 77-59. Richmond launched 22 three pointers, making 11 of them (50.0 percent). VCU, meanwhile, was just 4-21 (19.0 percent). With 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, Marcus Santos-Silva led VCU in scoring.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. Toppin scored a game-high 24 points in the first game, in which the Flyers beat the Rams 79-65. He also had nine rebounds. The Flyers made 20 of their 25 free throws (80.0 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.567 vs. 0.451).
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the high-powered offense of Dayton (second in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 116.2) takes on the stingy defense of VCU (25th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 92.2).
Dayton at VCU Betting Pick
Prediction: ATS Winner – Dayton, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Dayton ranks 43rd in rebounds allowed per game (31.9) while VCU ranks 213th (36.7).
The Rams rank seventh in steals per game (9.6) while the Flyers rank 137th (6.3).
Dayton ranks second in assists per game (18.2) while VCU ranks 122nd (13.4).
The Rams rank 27th in blocks per game (4.6) while the Flyers rank 74th (3.6).
Dayton is 34th in the NCAA with 18.6 three pointers allowed per game while VCU is 43rd with 18.9 three pointers allowed per game.
The Flyers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.2, down from 15.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Rams have scored an average of 72.2 points per game (0.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.2 points per game (8.9 above their season average).