The No. 25 Rhode Island Rams (23-6, 15-3 A10) and the VCU Rams (18-14, 10-9 A10) battle in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tourney at Capital One Arena. Rhode Island opened as a 9-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 148 points. Action gets underway at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9, 2018, and it can be seen on NBC Sports Network.
VCU Rams vs. Rhode Island Rams ATS Preview
VCU beat the Dayton Flyers in its last contest, 77-72. Justin Tillman was VCU’s high scorer with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting. VCU dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a superb turnover percentage of 9.6 (better than their season average of 16.7) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.561 (above their season average of 0.527). Dayton recorded marks of 12.5 and 0.468, respectively, for those same stats.
In Rhode Island’s last matchup, they were topped by the Davidson Wildcats, 63-61. With 11 points and 11 rebounds, Rhode Island’s Cyril Langevine played well. Davidson did a fantastic job of making free throws (12-14; 85.7 percent). Rhode Island, on the other hand, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.0 vs. 25.0).
Of VCU’s 27 games with betting action, 14 have finished over the projected point total, while 14 of Rhode Island’s 27 games have finished over the projected point total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, Rhode Island has a sizable advantage. They are 23-6 SU and 14-11-2 ATS, while VCU is 18-14 SU and 13-14 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to score 149 points, just under the projected point total of 150. Rhode Island won 81-68, covering as a 5-point favorite. Rhode Island had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (45.2 vs. 22.2). VCU, on the other hand, did an excellent job of making free throws (12-14; 85.7 percent). Langevine recorded a double-double with 12 points and 18 rebounds.
VCU Rams vs. Rhode Island Rams ATS Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Rhode Island, ATS Winner – VCU, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- VCU ranks 39th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while Rhode Island ranks 89th (3.1).
- Rhode Island ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (15.6) while VCU ranks 176th (22.3).
- Rhode Island averages 7.8 steals per game, which ranks 21st in the nation. VCU ranks 183rd in steals allowed per game (7.0).
- Rhode Island ranks 39th in assists allowed per game (11.4) while VCU ranks 190th (14.2).
Bettings Trends:
- Rhode Island is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, VCU is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- Rhode Island has been outscored by an average of 1.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Rhode Island has defeated opponents by an average of 8.8 points.
- During their last five games, VCU has scored an average of 77.0 points per game (0.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 71.4 points per game (3.4 below their season average).