Saint Louis looks to continue its sizzling start when the No. 24 Billikens visit St. Bonaventure in Friday’s Atlantic 10 game.
After suffering a 78-77 loss to Stanford on a neutral court on Nov. 28, Saint Louis (18-1, 6-0) has won 12 consecutive games.
The closest game during this 12-game streak came in Saint Louis’ most recent outing, Tuesday’s 81-77 victory at Duquesne.
St. Bonaventure (12-7, 1-5) snapped a five-game losing streak with Tuesday’s 84-70 home win over Loyola Chicago. The Bonnies overcame a 42-30 halftime deficit, outscoring Loyola Chicago 54-28 in the second half. Darryl “Buddy” Simmons, a 5-foot-11 junior, scored a season-high 26 points to lead the Bonnies.
Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure Odds
As of this writing, Saint Louis is an 8.5-point college basketball betting favorite on BetMGM.
The Over/Under is 157.5.
Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure On TV
Tipoff for Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure is slated for shortly after 5:30 p.m. ET.
The game will air on ESPN2.
Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure Prediction
I like Saint Louis to cover. Even though the Billikens didn’t cover last time out against Duquesne, this is a team that appears to have too much firepower for a St. Bonaventure squad that has been inconsistent.
Through Tuesday, Saint Louis had the best scoring margin in the country, 24.1 points. St. Bonaventure is ninth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring margin (5.2). Saint Louis has the top-scoring offense in the Atlantic 10, averaging 91.1 points. The Billikens have the third-best scoring defense (67.1). St. Bonaventure averages 77.9 points and allows 72.7.
Besides the scoring averages, both teams should provide plenty of offense since both have been successful three-point shooting teams. Saint Louis shoots .384 from three-point range and allows opponents to shoot .284. Both are No. 1 in the Atlantic 10. St. Bonaventure shoots .373 from deep and allows teams to shoot .343.
Both teams are adept from the foul line. St. Bonaventure leads the conference in free-throw percentage (.767) while Saint Louis is second (.760).
What makes Saint Louis so difficult to defend is its scoring balance. Six players average between 10.0 and 12.8 points per game. Leading the way is 6-foot-10 senior Robbie Avila. Besides averaging 12.8 points, Avila is averaging a team-high 3.9 assists. He also averages 4.3 rebounds and is shooting .447 from three-point range and .797 from the foul line. Avila is in his second year with Saint Louis after scoring a total of 1,008 points during his first two seasons at Indiana State. He was a second-team All-Atlantic 10 choice last season.
Dion Brown, a 6-foot-3 senior, is the Billikens’ second-leading scorer (11.6 PPG). Redshirt sophomore guard Trey Green averages 10.9 points and shoots at a team-best .450 from three-point range.
St. Bonaventure’s leading scorer is 6-foot-8 senior Frank Mitchell, who averages 17.3 points. He has only attempted two three-point field goals and missed both. Mitchell also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 10.4 per game.
A key for St. Bonaventure will be attempting to stop Saint Louis in transition. Through Wednesday, Saint Louis was 27th nationally in adjusted tempo according to KenPom.com, averaging 71.5 possessions per 40 minutes. Conversely, St. Bonaventure is 221st nationally, averaging 66.9 possessions per 40 minutes.
That said, St. Bonaventure is capable of playing a transition game. While Saint Louis is fifth nationally in fastbreak points (18.9 per game), St. Bonaventure is tied for 102nd, averaging 12.74 per game.
Still, slowing Saint Louis down is St. Bonaventure’s best chance to stay close, but it’s easier said than done.
