Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Billikens and Rams. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN2, and it’s hosted by the Rams at Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 147.5 points, and the Rams are favored to win at home against the Billikens.

SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS VS VCU RAMS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Saint Louis Billikens +8.5

This game will be played at Stuart C. Siegel Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, January 19th.

WHY BET THE SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Rams.
  • Even though we have VCU winning straight-up, we like Saint Louis at +8.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 147.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Can Saint Louis Grab a Win on the Road?

After losing their last game to Dayton 70-65, Saint Louis is now 8-9 overall and 1-3 in Atlantic 10 play. They have gone just 1-5 on the road this season, and their average scoring margin away from home is -10.7 points per game.

So far this season, the Billikens have been the underdog in 11 of their 17 games, going 3-8 in those matchups. They have lost their last five games on the road and are just 1-9 in their last 10 away from home.

As the underdog, Saint Louis has gone 6-5 against the spread this season. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Billikens are 6-4 vs. the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is 3-3 this year and they have gone just 3-7 over their last 10 road games vs. the spread.

So far this season, the over/under record in Saint Louis games is 10-6. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 151 points, which is higher than the average over/under line of 146.3 in their games this season. Their over/under record in their last three games is 2-1.

The Saint Louis offense is coming off a game where they scored 65 points against Dayton. They posted a field goal percentage of 40.9% and connected on 8 threes. The team’s top scorer is Gibson Jimerson, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 16.9, while Terremce Hargrove Jr. also maintains a PPG average of 13 leading up to the game.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, Saint Louis is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 76.2 points per game (249th). Against Dayton in their most recent game, the Saint Louis defense gave up a total of 70 points while allowing Dayton to hit 42% of their shots.

Are VCU Ready for a Home Win?

VCU has gone 8-6 at home this season, and they have a scoring differential of +6.3 points per game. Over their last 10 games at home, the Rams are 5-5.

So far this season, VCU has been favored in 12 games, going 8-4 in those matchups. They are 10-7 overall and have won their last two games.

As the favorite this season, VCU has gone 6-6 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Rams’ ATS record is also 5-5. At home this year, VCU is just 7-7 vs. the spread and their ATS mark over their last three home games is 1-2.

On the season, the over/under record in VCU games is 8-9 and today’s over/under line of 147.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (140.5). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 135 points.

In their previous game, the Rams’ offense finished with 71 points, which is right in line with their current average of 73.2 points per contest. The VCU offense has been looking to get up shots from outside so far this season, averaging 23.8 three-point attempts per contest. Overall, they have connected on 34% of their looks from outside this season.

Coming into today’s game, the VCU defense is giving up an average of 67.6 points per contest. VCU’s three-point defense is currently 68th in the country at 6.1 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 40.6% of their shots vs. VCU.