A-10 Contender VCU Hopes to Avoid Upset Against Lowly St. Louis
VCU vs St. Louis Odds: Rams Down to 5-Point Favorites
While the VCU Rams have separated themselves as one of the favorites in the A-10 Conference, they’re far from a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. They still have plenty more to do, starting with Friday’s (7 p.m. ET) trip to play the Saint Louis Billikens.
VCU opened as a 6-point favorite and is down to -5 at -105 odds. It’s also VCU vs St. Louis NCAAB Odds -195 on the moneyline while St. Louis is priced +170 to win outright. The projected total remains 143.5, with a slight edge to the Over at -115 odds.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both college basketball teams in our VCU vs St. Louis NCAAB odds preview.
Rams vs Billikens 
Day/Time:
Location: Chaifetz Arena; St. Louis
Streaming: ESPN2, ESPN+
VCU vs St. Louis Betting Trends
The VCU Rams are 15-9 ATS, including 4-1 away from home. The Rams haven’t fared nearly as well against the Over/Under, amassing a record of 10-14. Meanwhile, the Saint Louis Billikens are just 10-13 ATS, including 5-6 at home. They’ve gone Over the total in 14 of their 23 games.
Be sure to remember these betting trends when assessing the VCU vs St. Louis NCAAB odds.
Rams Firmly in Mix
VCU has won three straight and eight of its last nine games to keep pace atop the A-10 Conference standings. The Rams (16-8, 8-3) are coming off a 49-47 upset of then-No. 18 Dayton last Friday. It was their first victory over a ranked opponent this season, one that could potentially benefit them next month if they remain on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Without question, the Rams — No. 81 in KenPom — still have more work to do to climb the college basketball rankings and make the field of 68.
Defense remains VCU’s calling card. The Rams are 34th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Seven of their last nine opponents have scored 65 points or fewer, including first-place Dayton. Furthermore, opponents are shooting just 28.7% from 3-point range (10th nationally) and 39.5% overall (12th nationally).
On the other end of the floor, VCU plays through Ukrainian guard Max Shulga. The Utah State transfer is averaging a team-high 14.5 points on 40.4% shooting from 3 to go with 3.8 assists.
He had just two points against Dayton but flirted with a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) in the game prior against Fordham. The Rams have also received boosts from guards Sean Bairstow and Joe Bamisile, both of whom missed extended time earlier this season.
VCU tends to generate a majority of its offense from the perimeter. It’s shooting over 35% from 3, according to college basketball stats, led by Shulga, Kuany Kuany (42.3%), and Jason Nelson (37.1%). The Rams average over 23 attempts from deep per game, which is quite high, given their pace of play.
VCU has covered in eight of its last nine NCAAB games and is a solid 15-9 ATS. Keep that in mind when analyzing the VCU vs St. Louis NCAAB odds.
Billikens Keep Sinking
Saint Louis is reeling, having lost seven of its last eight to drop to 9-15, including 2-9 in A-10 play. Within the conference, only LaSalle has a worse record. The Billikens are coming off a spirited effort last Saturday against Saint Joseph’s, in which they lost 87-86 despite being a 10-point underdog.
The Billikens come in at No. 207 in KenPom and are 119th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 314th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They’ve been incredibly porous at defending the perimeter, as opponents are shooting 34% from deep.
At the very least, the Billikens have a formidable scorer, In Sincere Parker, who’s helped them overcome some of those struggles by averaging a team-high 15.8 points. The junior guard scored 33 points in a win over LaSalle and then followed that up with a 34-point effort against Saint Joseph’s. He has three other 20-point games this NCAAB season.
Parker’s one of four Billikens averaging double figures in points, joined by guard Gibson Jimerson (14.2) and forwards Terrence Hargrove Jr. and Bradley Ezewiro (each 12.6).
As an underdog, the Billikens are 8-8 ATS but just 4-12 OU. They’ve covered four of the seven times when the spread is +5 or shorter.
Handicapping the Game
This will mark the teams’ second meeting this season, with VCU having won 85-61 at home on Jan. 19. Bamisile scored a team-high 29 points on seven 3-pointers, and the Rams shot 11 of 23 from deep to cover as 8.5-point favorites.
Those defensive issues have plagued the Billikens all season, and it doesn’t appear that’ll change anytime soon.
Notably, VCU has gone Under the total in all five road games and is just 10-14 against the Over/Under on the season. St. Louis, meanwhile, is 14-9.
For NCAAB odds, betting analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
