Prepare For Court Storming at VCU on Friday
The Wrong Team Might Be Favored In Our Dayton vs VCU Preview
The Dayton Flyers will take on the VCU Rams in the only A-10 matchup this Saturday.
The Flyers have been outstanding this season, going 19-3 on the year. They’ve lost just one conference game to Richmond. But since that loss, Dayton has won three consecutive games to get to 9-1 in A-10 play.
However, they will face a difficult task on the road against VCU. This is the first of two meetings against the Rams, who have also won seven of their last eight games.
VCU is 7-3 in conference play and 15-8 overall. At home, VCU will be competitive against the A-10’s best team.
The Rams are only +1.5 (-118) against Dayton and are sitting at -102 on the moneyline. Meanwhile, the total is currently at 134.5, with the Over juiced to -115.
We’ve got plenty of analysis to share for this Dayton vs VCU preview.
Dayton vs VCU 
Location: Stuart C. Siegel Center
Day/Time:
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Dayton vs VCU Preview & Trends
The Dayton Flyers have dominated straight up. They’re 19-3 and looking for their 20th win of the season in early February.
However, they’ve also added 13 wins against the spread through 22 matchups. Furthermore, the Flyers have hit the Over in 12 of 22 games this year.
While they’re 11-0 at home, the Flyers are 5-2 on the road. That’s where two of the three losses have come for Dayton.
On the other hand, VCU is 10-5 at home. But the Rams are still 13-9-1 against the spread. The Under has also hit in 13 of 23 matchups for VCU.
Over the last four games head-to-head, it’s been a battle. VCU and Dayton have split the previous four games and covered the spread in the games they won straight up.
Building Momentum
The Dayton Flyers might have won 19 games this season. But that doesn’t mean anything just yet. They’re trying to stack momentum and wins before the A-10 Tournament and March Madness.
The Flyers have been really good throughout the entire year. That’s because they share the ball. In Dayton’s most recent game against St. Joseph’s, all five starters scored in double figures.
It just proves the versatility of Dayton. They’ve got many weapons. The others will step up if one or two guys aren’t playing well.
Meanwhile, the defense has also played admirably well. In the second half against Saint Joseph’s, Dayton was more aggressive and took away the good looks that Saint Joseph’s got in the first half.
It’s a coachable group that responds.
Max Shulga Leading The Way For VCU
The VCU Rams are coming off a win against Fordham on the road. Senior guard and leader Max Shulga put on a show in that game, earning 13 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. That was the fifth time in his career that he added a double-double.
However, he was so locked in that he almost earned a triple-double in the win.
He added 3-of-5 from three and scored ten of his 13 points in the second half to help VCU add another win to the resume.
VCU outscored Fordham by 12 points in the paint. The VCU bench also added 42 points in that game.
The Rams’ roster is filled with upperclassmen who are paving the way.
Will VCU Storm The Court?
The VCU Rams probably don’t get enough credit in the A-10. This team has one of the best defenses in the conference and, ultimately, in the nation.
They’re fifth in all of college basketball in defensive effective field goal percentage. Opponents have shot just 28.9% from three and 45.3% from inside the arc.
Meanwhile, Dayton shoots a lot of threes and makes 40% from downtown. Against VCU, it’s unlikely Dayton continues to hit at that clip on the road.
The Rams have also held teams to 27.6% of offensive rebounds, but VCU won’t add many turnovers and still fouls a lot.
The Flyers will get to the foul line at a solid rate and also shoot above 74% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Dayton has also added 28.3% of offensive rebounds. Therefore, the second chances won’t be very high for Dayton in this game.
On the other hand, Dayton’s one of the best teams at limiting fouls. However, the Flyers don’t limit offensive rebounds, allowing 30.9% of offensive rebounds per game.
While VCU turns the ball over 18.6% of the time, Dayton has only added 15.9% of turnovers. There’s a chance, at home, VCU limits turnovers against Dayton.
The Rams have still hit 36.2% from three and 51.3% from inside the arc. Finding open looks against Dayton won’t be easy, but more shots should fall for VCU at home.
Plus, if the game comes down to foul shooting at the end, the Rams have hit 78.5% from the foul line this season. That’s a top-ten rate in college basketball.
This doesn’t necessarily mean VCU will cut down the nets in a month after the A-10 Championship. However, forget the NCAAB rankings in this game. We believe Friday’s most shocking NCAAB scores will be in Richmond, Virginia.
Our NCAAB picks have VCU at +1.5 (-118) in this Dayton vs VCU preview.
For college basketball betting lines, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
