Looking to stay in the Atlantic 10 race, VCU hosts Richmond in Tuesday’s matchup. VCU (14-6, 5-2) is two games behind first-place St. Louis and a game behind George Mason, while being tied for third with Dayton.
The Rams are looking to extend their three-game win streak. All three wins were by under 10 points, including Saturday’s 75-69 victory at Davidson. Junior forward Lazar Djokovic led five double-figure scorers with 20 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range. VCU earned a 35-24 rebounding edge and a 14-9 advantage in second-chance points.
Richmond (13-8, 3-5) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Spiders are coming off Saturday’s 85-69 loss at George Washington. The winning Colonials outscored Richmond 52-32 in the first half. A key was three-point shooting; George Washington shot 15-for-33 (.455) while Richmond went 7-for-20 (.350).
These two teams will meet again on Feb. 14 at Richmond.
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Richmond at VCU Odds
As of this writing, VCU is an 11.5-point college basketball betting favorite on BetMGM.
The Over/Under is 155.5 points.
Richmond at VCU On TV
Tipoff is scheduled for slightly after 7 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
Richmond at VCU Prediction
I like Richmond covering the points. VCU has played five consecutive games that have been decided by under double-digits.
The other key statistic is how well Richmond takes care of the ball. The Spiders are second in the Atlantic 10 in turnover ratio (2.33), but VCU is fourth at 1.55.
This has the makings of a high-scoring game. Both teams are at the top in scoring offense in the Atlantic 10. VCU is third, averaging 84.4 PPG, while Richmond is fifth (79.7). Both are not particularly strong defensive teams. Richmond is ninth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (73.0 PPG) while VCU is 12th (73.7).
Despite its struggles from beyond the arc in the last game, Richmond is second in the Atlantic 10 in three-point percentage (.376) while VCU is sixth (.365). Richmond is also second in the conference in three-point field goal defense, holding opponents to a .313 mark. VCU is ninth (.348). At the foul line, Richmond shoots.755 and VCU is at .738.
Sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. leads VCU with a 14.4 scoring average. He is shooting .388 from three-point range and .880 from the foul line. Djokovic is the other double-figure scorer (13.7 PPG). He is shooting .400 from beyond the arc.
AJ Lopez, a 6-foot-5 graduate student, leads Richmond in scoring (12.7 PPG) while shooting .400 from three-point range and .865 from the foul line. The other double-figure scorer is 5-foot-11 freshman Aiden Argabright, who is averaging 10.8 points, while shooting .365 from deep and .835 from the foul line.
VCU is 9-2 at home, including 2-1 in Atlantic 10 games. The lone home Atlantic 10 home loss was a 71-62 defeat to Atlantic 10 frontrunner St. Louis.
Richmond is 3-3 on the road, including 2-2 in Atlantic 10 play.
For Richmond to win, the Spiders will have to shoot near their three-point percentage average and must shake off their poor game from beyond the arc in their last outing. VCU has more to play for, but this is a big rivalry between these schools located less than 12 miles apart. Richmond is coming off a poor performance and will look to make amends.
After having a poor start against George Washington, Richmond must come out of the game firing to have a chance to win and/or cover the spread.
