A10 foes will battle when the Saint Joseph’s Hawks (6-7, 1-1 A10) meet the St. Bonaventure Bonnies (11-3, 1-1 A10) at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena. St. Bonaventure opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 148.5 points. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNU.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies at Saint Joseph’s Hawks Free Preview
In the Bonnies last game, they fell to the Dayton Flyers, 82-72. St. Bonaventure’s Matt Mobley had a solid game, leading the team in scoring with 24 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Dayton did a fantastic job of making free throws (27-34; 79.4 percent). St. Bonaventure, meanwhile, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 40.5 (above their season average of 30.8).
The Hawks come in on a high note after beating the VCU Rams in their last contest, 87-81. Saint Joseph’s’ Pierfrancesco Oliva had a good game, putting up 15 points and seven rebounds. The Hawks made 29 of their 38 free throws (76.3 percent), while the Rams had a turnover percentage of 20.0 (above their season average of 16.0).
Ball security could play a significant role in this matchup. Saint Joseph’s commits the fewest miscues in the nation (turnover percentage of 13.2 percent), while the gambling defense of St. Bonaventure forces the 29th-most (opponents turnover percentage of 23.5 percent). ,
Jaylen Adams has really been playing well over the last five games for St. Bonaventure, averaging 22.4 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Bonnies won both matchups last season. In the last matchup, St. Bonaventure won 83-77. St. Bonaventure did a fantastic job of getting and making free throws (28-33; 84.8 percent). Saint Joseph’s, meanwhile, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.492 vs. 0.458).
St. Bonaventure Bonnies at Saint Joseph’s Hawks Odds Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – St. Bonaventure, ATS Winner – St. Bonaventure, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Bonnies rank 150th in assists per game (13.6) while the Hawks rank 201st in assists allowed per game (15.6).
- Saint Joseph’s ranks 124th in blocks per game (3.1) while St. Bonaventure ranks 136th in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
- Saint Joseph’s ranks 55th in three pointers attempted per game (25.6) while St. Bonaventure ranks 255th (17.6).
- The Bonnies rank 135th in rebounds allowed per game (34.9) while the Hawks rank 259th (40.8).
- St. Bonaventure ranks 37th in steals per game (7.9) while Saint Joseph’s ranks 95th (6.7).
Betting Trends:
- The Hawks have outscored opponents by an average of 1.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Saint Joseph’s has lost by an average of 1.6 points.
- During their last five games, the Bonnies have scored an average of 79.0 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 72.2 points per game (4.8 above their season average).
