The Duquesne Dukes and Saint Louis Billikens will open their Atlantic 10 season Wednesday night at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, so I’ve prepared the best betting pick along with the latest team news, stats, and odds update on Sugarhouse Sportsbook.
The Dukes will take the floor for the first time in four weeks, facing off against their old foes. Duquesne has won four of its last five games against Saint Louis including their previous two encounters in 2020.
The Dukes are happy to finally resume their campaign
The Duquesne Dukes are 1-1 on the season, playing their last game on December 2 when they beat the UNC Greensboro Spartans 81-68 as 1-point favorites at the neutral site. The Dukes had to shut down their activities due to the COVID19, so they must be thrilled to get back into the action.
Duquesne went 21-9 last regular season in Keith Dambrot’s third year at the helm. They were No. 95 in the final KenPom rankings, scoring 106.6 points per 100 possessions (94th in the nation) and surrendering 99.0 in a return (104th).
Keep your eyes on senior forward Marcus Weathers and junior guard Sincere Curry. Weathers had 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season, while Curry added a fine line of 12.2 points, 3.9 boards, and 5.3 assists per contest.
The Billikens bounced back from their first loss
After nine straight ATS wins, the Saint Louis Billikens failed to cover in their previous two outings. They suffered a 90-82 defeat at Minnesota as 2-point road favorites while beating UM Kansas City 62-46 as 23-point home favorites.
The Billikens are 7-1 on the season and sit at the 29th spot of the latest KenPom rankings. They have the 33rd-best defensive rating (92.1) and the 34th-best offensive rating in the country (110.2).
Senior guard Jordan Goodwin leads the way for the Billikens, averaging a double-double of 16.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He’s adding 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals a night, so Goodwin is one of the most exciting players in basketball this season.
The Billikens lack height but shoot 51.0% from the field (20th in the country) and 41.0% from beyond the 3-point line (17th). They’re posting 19.5 assists (16th) and 8.8 steals per game (45th).
Trends:Duquesne:
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten road games against St. Louis
- 6-11 ATS in the last 17 games overall
Saint Louis:
- 9-2 ATS in the last 11 games overall
- 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 home contests
The Winner Prediction
As I’ve mentioned, the Dukes are 4-1 straight up in their previous five meetings with the Billikens, going 4-1 ATS in that span, too. However, they are only 3-7 SU and ATS in their last ten road tilts against Saint Louis.
The Dukes had a very long pause, so I have to bet on the Billikens. The hosts opened as 9-point favorites which could be too much, and taking a few points seems like the right move for the slightly lower wages.
The Billikens have been terrific thus far, losing only at the in-form Golden Gophers. Both teams will be fired up to grab a win at the start of the conference play, and the Billikens just have to continue with their impressive performance against the team that hasn’t played basketball in four weeks.
Pick: Take Saint Louis -7.0 at -150
The Total:
The last nine encounters between the Dukes and Billikens went in the over, and I suggest you follow the betting trends. The Dukes will need some time to shake off the rust. They are not an elite defensive unit, but Duquesne has good offensive potential.
On the other side, the Billikens love to play aggressive defense, trying to force turnovers and easy baskets in transition. Six of their last eight games went in the over, as well as five of the Billikens’ last seven home tilts.
Pick: Go over 142.5 points at -110
