The George Washington Colonials (10-15, 3-9 A10) will try to end a 10-game road losing streak when they clash with the Massachusetts Minutemen (11-14, 4-8 A10) at William D. Mullins Center. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 136.5 points with Massachusetts opening as a 5.5-point favorite. Action starts at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 14, 2018.
George Washington Colonials vs. Massachusetts Minutemen Free Preview
The Colonials were beaten by the George Mason Patriots in their last outing, 72-65. With 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting, Yuta Watanabe was the top scorer from either team. George Mason had a free throw rate of 0.333 (above their season average of 0.232). George Washington, meanwhile, held the Patriots to an effective field goal percentage of 0.465 (below the 0.526 mark opponents have averaged against George Washington this season).
In the Minutemen’s last matchup, they were topped by the Saint Joseph’s Hawks, 85-73. Carl Pierre led Massachusetts in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Saint Joseph’s did an excellent job of converting from the charity stripe (15-20; 75.0 percent). Massachusetts, on the other hand, was lights out from beyond the arc (14-25; 56.0 percent).
Half-court execution will be at a premium when a pair of the nations slowest-paced teams face off. Massachusetts currently ranks 257th in possessions per game (68.0) and George Washington is 330th (65.5).
Of George Washington’s 21 games with betting action, 11 have finished over the projected point total, while 12 of Massachusetts 22 games have finished over the projected point total. Both teams have middling straight up (SU) records (10-15 for George Washington; 11-14 for Massachusetts), but the Minutemen have the advantage against the spread (ATS). Massachusetts is 11-11 ATS, while the Colonials are 7-14.
Both teams have had a player trending in the right direction over their last five games. For the Colonials, it’s been Watanabe, who has averaged 19.2 points and 1.8 blocks, while the Minutemen have gotten great contributions from Pierre (14.4 points).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Colonials won the sole game played against each other last season, 83-67. The Colonials dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a solid offensive rebounding percentage of 30.0 and a free throw rate of 0.241. The Minutemen had marks of 20.0 and 0.177, respectively, for those same stats.
George Washington Colonials at Massachusetts Minutemen Free Prediction
Free Pick: SU Winner – Massachusetts, ATS Winner – George Washington, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Colonials rank 163rd in steals per game (5.7) while the Minutemen rank 226th (4.9).
- Massachusetts ranks 236th in rebounds per game (33.6) while George Washington ranks 261st (32.8).
- George Washington is 2-9 ATS on the road, while Massachusetts is 7-4 ATS at home.
- The total has gone over in 7 of the Minutemen’s 11 home games, while 7 of the Colonials 11 road games have gone under.
- Massachusetts ranks 138th in three pointers attempted per game (22.2) while George Washington ranks 274th (17.9).
- The Colonials rank 117th in assists allowed per game (13.2) while the Minutemen rank 243rd (15.9).
- George Washington ranks 24th in blocks per game (5.0) while Massachusetts ranks 105th (3.4).
Betting Trends:
- Massachusetts is 2-3 ATS with 5 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, George Washington is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Minutemen’s average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 7.6, up from 2.0 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Colonials have scored an average of 65.6 points per game (1.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 74.6 points per game (4.0 above their season average).
