A10 foes will battle when the George Mason Patriots (7-8, 1-1 A10) take on the Davidson Wildcats (5-6, 1-1 A10) at EagleBank Arena. Davidson is a 4-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 141 points. Action starts at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 7, 2018, and it can be seen on NBC Sports Network.
Davidson Wildcats vs. George Mason Patriots ATS Preview
The last time the Wildcats played, they won a close one over the Saint Louis Billikens, 54-51. Peyton Aldridge was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The Wildcats forced 16 turnovers and held the Billikens to an effective field goal percentage of 0.456 (below the 0.523 mark opponents have averaged against Davidson this season).
The Patriots come in on a high note after defeating the Massachusetts Minutemen in their last outing, 80-72. George Mason was lifted by Otis Livingston II, who was the game’s high scorer with 33 points on 10-for-20 shooting. George Mason played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 40.0 (above their season average of 27.0) and a free throw rate of 0.282 (above their season average of 0.249). Massachusetts was 27.9 and 0.221, respectively, for those same stats.
Second-chance opportunities could be rare for George Mason in this showdown. The Patriots rank 222nd in offensive rebounding percentage (28.1 percent), while Davidson ranks 59th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.5 percent). The Wildcats should have an edge in terms of ball protection. They rank 9th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 14.6 percent), while the Patriots force the 61st-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ turnover percentage of 17.2 percent).
Of Davidson’s 12 games, seven have finished under the O/U total, while 6 of George Mason’s 11 games have finished under the projected point total. Both teams have middling straight up (SU) records (5-6 for Davidson; 7-8 for George Mason), but the Wildcats have the advantage against the spread (ATS). Davidson is 4-7-1 ATS, while the Patriots are 4-7.
This is the first time these teams will battle this year. The Patriots won the sole contest played against each other last season, 76-69. The Patriots played a nearly perfect game. They had a great free throw rate of 0.270 and a superb offensive rebounding percentage of 27.0. For those same stats, the Wildcats had marks of 0.097 and 16.2, respectively.
Davidson Wildcats at George Mason Patriots ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Davidson, ATS Winner – Davidson, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Patriots rank 145th in rebounds per game (35.9) while the Wildcats rank 249th (32.5).
- Davidson ranks 39th in steals allowed per game (5.4) while George Mason ranks 89th (6.2).
- On the road, Davidson is 3-5-1 ATS with 5 unders, 3 overs and 1 push.
- George Mason is 0-4 ATS at home with 3 unders and 1 over.
- Davidson ranks 17th in assists per game (17.9) while George Mason ranks 234th (11.1).
- The Wildcats rank fifth in three pointers attempted per game (30.9) while the Patriots rank 178th in three pointers allowed per game (23.3).
- Davidson ranks 20th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while George Mason ranks 130th (4.1).
Betting Trends:
- George Mason is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Davidson is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Patriots average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 9.0, up from 4.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 62.8 points per game (11.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.0 points per game (6.6 below their season average).
