Coming off its most impressive win of the season, VCU looks to keep the momentum going when the Rams visit Saint Joseph’s in Atlantic 10 action on Friday.
On Tuesday, VCU (13-4, 3-1) earned a 78-62 home win over St. Louis, handing the Billikens their first Atlantic 10 loss. The Rams held high-scoring St. Louis to just 20 points in the second half.
Joe Bamisile, a 6-foot-4 VCU graduate student, scored a game-high 23 points, hitting 4 of 9 from three-point range.
VCU held a 38-26 rebounding edge, including an incredible 22-4 on the offensive glass.
This was arguably VCU’s most impressive win of the season.
Saint Joseph’s (11-6, 2-2) last played on Saturday when the Hawks earned a 93-57 Atlantic 10 home win over Loyola Chicago, snapping a two-game losing streak. It was the highest-scoring game of the season for the Hawks. Xzayvier Brown, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, led a balanced scoring attack with 20 points.
The Hawks improved to 7-3 at home. Saint Joseph’s has been a little inconsistent, but the Hawks have some impressive wins, including beating Villanova, 83-76 at home and Texas Tech, 78-77, in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, NY.
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VCU at Saint Joseph’s Betting Odds
VCU is a 1.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM against Saint Joseph’s with the Over/Under 141.5.
The moneyline for VCU is -140 while it is +115 for Saint Joseph’s.
VCU at Saint Joseph’s On TV
The game between VCU and Saint Joseph’s will be televised on ESPNU.
Tonight’s tipoff is shortly after 7 p.m.
VCU at Saint Joseph’s Prediction
I like Saint Joseph’s at home getting the points.
Saint Joseph’s is fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 75.5 points per game. The Hawks are ninth in scoring defense (70.5).
VCU is fifth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 66.7 points per game. The Rams are 12th in scoring, averaging 71 points.
Rasheer Fleming, a 6-foot-9 junior, averages 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds to lead Saint Joseph’s in both categories. He is also shooting .442 from three-point range. Fleming is considered a potential NBA first-round draft pick. Senior guard Erik Reynolds II and Brown both average 15.4 points for the Hawks. Reynolds, however, hasn’t enjoyed a consistent season. He is shooting just .276 from three.
Bamisile is averaging a team-high 16.6 points for VCU. Max Shulga, a 6-foot-5 senior, averages 15.4 points while shooting .403 from three.
VCU leads the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage (.781), while Saint Joseph’s is a good free throw shooting team, but stands ninth at .726.
A major key in VCU’s success is that the Rams lead the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting defense, limiting teams to a .313 percentage. Saint Joseph’s has also done a good job, limiting teams to a .330 percentage, which is fifth in the conference.
Both are middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10 in three-point percentage. VCU is seventh (.353) and Saint Joseph’s is right behind at eighth (.352).
The team that does better from deep will likely be the winner.
