It will be a battle between A10 opponents when the Saint Joseph’s Hawks (4-14, 0-5 A10) welcome the VCU Rams (13-5, 3-2 A10) to Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena. The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
VCU is a 12-point favorite on the opening line at Pointsbet Sportsbook, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 148 points.
VCU Rams vs. Saint Joseph’s Hawks Betting Prediction
In the Rams’ last matchup, they easily covered the 11-point spread against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 91-63. The total points for the game (154) finished well over the projected point total of 129.5. The Rams, who came into the game averaging an effective field goal percentage of 0.492, had a superb mark of 0.595, while the Bonnies had a free throw rate of 0.174 (below the 0.214 mark opponents have averaged against VCU this season). Marcus Santos-Silva fueled VCU with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hawks were victorious over the Penn Quakers in their last game, 87-81, despite being 9-point underdogs. The total points for the game (168) finished well over the O/U total of 153. The Hawks made 15 of their 19 free throws (78.9 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.590 (above their season average of 0.448). Ryan Daly led Saint Joseph’s in scoring with 30 points on 11-for-23 shooting from the field.
Saint Joseph’s might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they square off against one of the nation’s best defenses. VCU ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency, while the Hawks rank 289th in offensive efficiency.
VCU has an outstanding 13-5 straight up (SU) record, but they have difficulty covering the spread (5-13 against the spread (ATS)). Of the Rams’ 18 games, 10 have gone under the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Saint Joseph’s is 4-14 SU and 9-9 ATS. Vegas is highly precise when predicting totals of Hawks games, with an even split between overs and unders.
After the Rams won the sole contest against the Hawks last season, 75-63, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. The Rams had a better effective field goal percentage (0.551 vs. 0.458) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (26.5 vs. 22.2).
VCU Rams vs. Saint Joseph’s Hawks ATS Pick
College Basketball Pick: ATS Winner – Saint Joseph’s, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
VCU is 1-5 ATS on the road with 4 overs and 2 unders.
Saint Joseph’s is 4-4 ATS at home with 5 unders, 2 overs and 1 push.
VCU ranks 13th in steals per game (9.4) while Saint Joseph’s ranks 215th (4.8).
The Hawks rank third in three pointers attempted per game (31.6) while the Rams rank 138th (22.4).
VCU averages 4.9 blocks per game, which ranks 26th in the country. Saint Joseph’s ranks 149th in blocks allowed per game (4.4).
The Rams rank 41st in assists allowed per game (10.6) while the Hawks rank 160th (13.3).
Saint Joseph’s ranks 64th in rebounds per game (38.5) while VCU ranks 179th in rebounds allowed per game (35.9).
In its last five outings, VCU is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Saint Joseph’s is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The Rams’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, down from 9.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hawks have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (1.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 79.8 points per game (1.5 below their season average).
