Can Dayton Maintain Its Four-Week Streak In The AP Top 25?
The Total Has More Value In This Dayton vs St. Joseph's Betting Preview
The Dayton Flyers are currently 18-3 with an 8-1 conference record in the A-10. They’ve won all but one game since November 19. Meanwhile, that loss on November 19th was to the No. 1 team in the nation, Houston.
However, the Flyers have a challenging task with a road game against St. Joseph’s. The St. Joseph’s Hawks are 15-7 on the season but just 5-4 in conference play. But five of those wins in conference play came in their last six games.
The Hawks have knocked off La Salle, Duquesne, UMass, and George Mason, and only fell to a quality St. Bonaventure team on the road.
Therefore, the Hawks are sitting at +2.5 (-120), with the total at 144.5. Despite Dayton’s success, oddsmakers believe this game will be close throughout, as the Hawks have only lost twice at home this season.
Check out our Dayton vs St. Joseph’s betting preview for this A-10 matchup below.
Dayton Flyers vs St. Joseph’s Hawks 
Location: Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena
Day/Time:
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Dayton vs St. Joseph’s Betting Preview & Trends
Dayton might be 18-3 on the season. However, the Flyers have only gone 12-9 against the spread this year. That’s still a profitable number against the spread, but it’s not nearly as good as their straight-up record.
Meanwhile, the Over has hit in 11 of 21 games this year for the Flyers. There’s no true edge in the total department for Dayton. The Flyers are also 4-2 on the road this year and haven’t been tested too much this season on the road.
On the other hand, Saint Joseph’s is 10-2 at home and has won more games against the spread, covering 13 of 22 games this season. The Hawks have also hit the Over in 13 of 22 games this year.
While Saint Joseph’s covered its last game in March of 2023, the Flyers have still defeated the Hawks in three consecutive games dating back to 2022.
Dayton Ranked Inside Top 25
After wins against George Washington and St. Bonaventure, the Dayton Flyers climbed the AP Poll and are now ranked as the No. 18 team in the nation.
With only nine games left in the regular season, the Flyers are eying a trip to March Madness. But they’re also looking at winning the A-10 for an automatic bid.
This is the fourth consecutive week that Dayton has been ranked inside the Top 25. They even stayed ranked after a road loss to Richmond on January 27.
If Dayton knocks off Saint Joseph’s on the road, they’ll likely move up the rankings again as long as they win their next game before the week concludes.
The Hawks Added Momentum After Come-From-Behind Win
The Saint Joseph’s Hawks were trailing La Salle by 12 points in the second half. However, the Hawks fought back and earned an 88-82 victory on the road.
Lynn Greer III added his second double-double of the season, and Erick Reynolds II chipped in with 21 points in the win.
Four players scored double figures in the win, and two players finished shy of a double-double because they were one rebound short.
The Hawks added a huge team victory and have momentum in a monster game tonight.
Will Saint Joseph’s Pull Off The Upset?
The Hawks have shot 37.4% from three and 52.9% from inside the arc this season. They’re shooting the ball well and ranked in the top 40 in effective field goal percentage.
Dayton doesn’t foul often and defends exceptionally well. However, the Flyers aren’t good at forcing turnovers and don’t perform well on the defensive glass, giving up 31.2% of offensive rebounds.
With the Hawks adding 30.5% of offensive rebounds, Saint Joseph’s should add many second-chance buckets off their misses.
There will be plenty of misses from Saint Joseph’s, even at home, with Dayton holding teams to 30.9% from three and 45.7% from inside the arc.
On the other hand, the Flyers have shot 39.4% from deep and 53.5% from inside the arc. Dayton is the better offense overall, hitting 74.2% from the foul line with an effective field goal percentage of 56%.
The Flyers are also better at limiting turnovers, but Saint Joseph’s tends to force more takeaways defensively.
While the Hawks have held teams to 32.4% from three and 46.9% from inside the arc, opponents have also added nearly 30% of offensive rebounds against the Hawks.
Dayton isn’t as good on the offensive glass, but the Flyers will likely still add some second-chance points off of misses, too.
It’s also more likely Dayton gets to the foul line at a higher rate, where they shoot 74.2%.
Both teams love to shoot the three. However, Dayton is a slower offense, while Saint Joseph’s likes to play faster.
But with threes, these two offenses will either hit their shots or add second chances, resulting in more points. Saint Joseph’s can genuinely earn the upset in this game. The NCAA basketball standings aren’t telling the whole picture.
The NCAAB team stats prove that this will be a close game throughout. If you want to find some picks and parlays NCAAB, look no further than the Over 145.5 (-110). The Over makes the most sense after breaking down the Dayton vs St. Joseph’s betting preview.
For NCAA basketball schedule, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
