VCU looks to end its two-game skid when it visits the Ryan Center to face Rhode Island in a battle of the Rams.
VCU’s last two losses have come to the two favorites to win the Atlantic 10 in Saint Louis and George Mason. The Rams of VCU (11-6 overall, 2-2 A-10) were selected as the preseason conference favorite.
Meanwhile, URI has also had a bumpy start to conference play after losing its first three games before picking up a 70-45 road win at Davidson last week. URI (10-7, 1-3) has been very up-and-down this season, so we’ll see which version of this squad shows up Wednesday night.
VCU at Rhode Island Odds
As of this writing, VCU is a 4.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM against Rhode Island while the Over/Under is at 148.5.
The Moneyline for VCU is -200 and +165 for Rhode Island.
VCU at Rhode Island on TV
The matchup between VCU and Rhode Island will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tonight’s game tips off at 6 p.m. ET.
VCU at Rhode Island Prediction
I predict Rhode Island covers the 4.5-point spread. I also predict this game goes over 146.5 points.
The last two opponents VCU struggled against both owned strong defenses, and that’s where URI’s strength is. Per KenPom, Rhode Island’s adjusted defensive efficiency of 97.5 during league games is the top mark in the A-10.
URI’s 14.8 turnovers forced per game are second in the league, and 6-foot-4 guard Tyler Cochran averages 3.1 steals per game, which is the fourth-best mark in the country.
The important thing for URI will be to knock down enough shots to keep VCU from running the floor and getting to the rim. URI has struggled to score in conference play, and VCU plays at the fastest pace in the A-10.
Even if Rhody is off the mark offensively, VCU’s tempo can lead to turnovers at times, and I think this could play into URI’s hands.
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URI also likes to attack the offensive glass, and securing offensive rebounds will keep VCU from running the floor. However, the game plan could change, and URI could be more focused on getting back on defense to stop VCU from getting downhill. Either way, Rhode Island already does a good job of protecting the paint.
Led by sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. (14.3 points per game) and junior forward Lazar Djokovic (13.7 PPG), VCU has a handful of guys who can get to the rim and also get to the free-throw line. VCU has attempted the most free throws in the conference (452) and is shooting 74.8% from the stripe. It’ll be important for URI to be disruptive without fouling.
Rhody is only scoring 62.2 points per game in league play, so it’s hard to trust them to score enough to stay in this game. I think they’ve found somewhat of a rhythm in the past week, however, and will work through their actions enough to try and control the pace and get easy looks. I also think URI is capable of generating 15-20 points off turnovers.
VCU is allowing 79.8 PPG in conference play, which is the third-worst mark in the league. It is also allowing conference foes to shoot at a 50.4% clip.
Rhode Island’s defense will be key, but I think its offense can take advantage of a ho-hum VCU defense. Six-foot-3 redshirt junior guard Jonah Hinton leads URI with 15.1 PPG, while Cochran and Jahmere Tripp both average 11 PPG.
VCU will be very eager to get back on the winning path, and they might pick up the victory, but I think URI can keep this game close.
