2024 Atlantic 10 Conference Odds: Flyers Favored

The Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament kicks-off Tuesday with three games involving the lower seeds. The top four seeds won’t begin play until Thursday in what looks to be a solid tournament.

Five teams are at odds of +900 or lower, so an upset or two could happen. Richmond and Loyola Chicago shared the regular season crown with 15-3 conference records. The 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference odds have third-seeded Dayton as the tournament favorites and it’s hard to disagree.

Dayton Flyers (+150)

Dayton is offering pretty decent odds for a tournament favorite, but the Flyers deserve to be favored here. The team posted a 24-6 overall record and went 14-4 in conference games. Five of the six losses were by five points or less. The lone exception was a 69-55 loss to No. 1 Houston.

The Flyers have wins over Cincinnati, St. John‘s and LSU this season, having played one of the tougher preseason NCAA basketball schedules. Dayton did lose five road games and once on a neutral court.

Dayton is the top team in the Atlantic 10, according to the KenPom rankings. In conference games, Dayton is No. 1 in offensive efficiency and No. 4 on defense. The Flyers are the best-shooting team in the conference, ranking No. 1 in both 2-point and 3-point field goal percentage. Dayton makes a few too many turnovers and doesn’t get many offensive rebounds.

On defense, Dayton doesn’t force a lot of turnovers, but don’t allow many offensive rebounds. The Flyers are No. 2 in 3-point defense and No. 8 in 2-point shooting. Teams are making 50.2% of 2-point attempts. Dayton’s slowdown pace helps a little, but the Flyers may be a little better than what they’re ranked. The lack of turnovers hurts a little bit in the defensive ratings.

Richmond Spiders (+450)

The Spiders are No. 9 in the offensive efficiency ratings, but that’s primarily due to being woefully bad at getting offensive rebounds. Richmond is last in the conference by quite a bit, but the other stats aren’t bad. The Spiders make the fewest turnovers in the conference and are No. 3 in effective field goal percentage.

Richmond is solid defensively, ranking No. 2 in the conference efficiency ratings. The Spiders are No. 2 in the efficiency ratings and are a little better against the 2-pointer, allowing 46%. Richmond is No. 14 in blocked shots, but does everything else pretty well.

Loyola Chicago Ramblers (+500)

The Ramblers are the best defensive team in the conference and one of the better ones in the country. Loyola ranks No. 24 nationally in the defensive efficiency ratings and No. 1 in the Atlantic 10. The Ramblers do send teams to the foul line too much, although that’s about the only knock on the defense. Loyola is No. 1 in 2-point defense and No. 6 against the 3-pointer.

The offense can be an adventure and is the primary reason why the 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference odds have the team at +500. The Ramblers make more turnovers than any team in the conference and are poor from the foul line. Loyola doesn’t shoot that bad and is No. 2 in effective field goal percentage.

UMass Minutemen (+700)

The Minutemen are ranked No. 2 in the offensive efficiency ratings, but that be a bit of a stretch! UMass does some things well, but is terrible at others. The team is No. 1 in offensive rebounds and No. 2 in 2-point field goal percentage. The Minutemen are No. 11 in effective field goal percentage due to being last in the conference in 3-point shooting.

UMass is middle of the pack on defense. The Minutemen don’t force a lot of turnovers and allow too many offensive rebounds, but are solid against the 2-pointer. The defense isn’t a strength, although it’s not a big weakness, either.

VCU Rams (+900)

Virginia Commonwealth is going to live or die with the 3-pointer on offense. The Rams are No. 2 in the conference at 3-point shooting at 39%, but they’re also pretty weak at 2-point shooting, ranking No. 14 in the conference. If VCU is making the 3-pointer, the Rams can play with anybody in the Atlantic 10. If not, it could be a long night for the VCU faithful.

The Rams aren’t bad on defense, ranking No. 5 in the efficiency ratings. VCU is No. 5 in effective field goal percentage and allow the fewest number of offensive rebounds. The Rams don’t force a lot of turnovers and can send teams to the foul line a bit too much.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies (+1200)

The NCAA basketball scores show this is going to be a tough task for St. Bonaventure. The 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference odds of +1200 have the Bonnies No. 6, but that might be asking too much. St. Bonaventure is good enough offensively, but the defense leaves a bit to be desired.

The Bonnies are No. 3 in the offensive efficiency ratings and are a solid 3-point shooting team. St. Bonaventure is No. 10 in 2-point field goal percentage and getting offensive rebounds, so there’s room for improvement.

The Bonnies are No. 14 in 2-point defense and No. 8 against the 3-pointer. St. Bonaventure is seconds in the conference in forced turnovers and can block some shots, but don’t expect a whole lot more.

Who to Bet On?

The Flyers are the class of the Atlantic 10, but their odds to win March Madness are still +10000. With another win or two in the tournament, Dayton could get in as at at-large team, although the Flyers would rather win the tournament and not leave it in the hands of the selection committee.

Dayton did lose once to Richmond, Loyola, VCU and George Mason, so the Flyers aren’t a sure thing, but they are probably the way to go here. The KenPom ratings have Dayton at least eight points better than any other team and the odds aren’t bad. Take Dayton +150 to win the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.

For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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