The VCU men’s basketball team hopes to stretch its winning streak to six games and get some revenge tonight when Atlantic 10 Conference foe St. Bonaventure invades the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia.
St. Bonaventure’s Melvin Council Jr. hit a go-ahead layup with 3.3 seconds to play in the Bonnies’ 77-75 win when VCU made the trip to the Reilly Center in New York on Dec. 31, 2024. Since then, the Rams have averaged 78.8 points a game in five-straight A10 wins, including an 81-57 rout of Rhode Island on Tuesday.
VCU (15-4, 5-1 A10) is sitting at No. 2 in the A10 standings, behind only George Mason (15-5, 6-1). A win tonight would be big for the Rams, especially with a road game at Saint Louis (12-7, 5-1) up next on the schedule.
The Rams have one of the most potent offenses in the conference. They average 77.8 points a night, which ranks No. 2 in the A10. VCU also has the conference’s stingiest defense, which is allowing just 62.5 points a game.
Six-foot-4 graduate student Joe Bamisile leads VCU with 16.7 points a game, and he ranks No. 2 on the team with 5.3 rebounds a night. Max Shulga is chipping in with 15.3 points and six rebounds a game.
St. Bonaventure (15-5, 3-4 A10) has lost four of its last five games, including a 75-62 setback against George Mason on Tuesday. Council leads the Bonnies with 14.6 points a game, and he’s averaging 5.5 rebounds a night. Six-foot-6 senior Chance Moore is adding 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds a game.
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St. Bonaventure at VCU Betting Odds
VCU is a 12.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM against St. Bonaventure, and the Over/Under is 134.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -1000 for VCU and at +625 for St. Bonaventure.
VCU is 12-8 against the spread in its past 20 regular-season games as the favorite at home. St. Bonaventure is 9-10-1 ATS in its past 20 regular-season games as an underdog on the road.
St. Bonaventure at VCU on TV
The Atlantic 10 game featuring St. Bonaventure will be televised tonight on ESPNU.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
St. Bonaventure at VCU Prediction
I predict VCU wins, 78-64.
The Rams have been on a roll lately, and they know they can’t have a letdown if they want to hang with George Mason in the race for the A10 regular-season championship. VCU could also use some momentum heading into a game against a conference title contender like Saint Louis.
VCU has the offensive firepower to run St. Bonaventure out of the gym, but the Bonnies’ defense isn’t going to roll over. They’re giving up just 63.6 points a game, which ranks No. 3 in the conference.
The difference in this game will be VCU’s ability to control the paint and protect the ball. VCU is holding opponents to a .390 shooting percentage, and the Rams average 38.8 rebounds a game, which ranks No. 4 in the A10. The Bonnies rank No. 11 in the 15-team conference with 35.1 rebounds a game.
VCU also leads the A10 with a +3.26 turnover margin. The Rams also have a sizable advantage in the Siegel Center. They’re 9-0 at home this season, and they went 13-6 at home last season.
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