The VCU Rams will host a showdown against the Buffalo Bulls at Stuart Siegel Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
The Rams were beaten by Cincinnati 69-63 on Saturday. Korey Billbury was the game’s leading scorer, contributing 22 points. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-73 win over Montana State on Saturday. Lamonte Bearden shot 7 for 15 and led in scoring with 18 points.
VCU is a heavy 12-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 146 points. The Rams look to improve upon their records of 5-5 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Teams have a tough time keeping VCU off of the offensive glass. They rank 42nd in Division I in offensive rebounds. Transitioning to the VCU defense, teams really have to fight for three-pointers against the Rams, who have allowed only 5.0 three-pointers to opponents per game.
Across the court, Buffalo has a SU record of 6-5 and an ATS record of 3-4-2. Buffalo is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Division I. The Bulls average 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, making them the 29th-best team in the country for that category.
VCU and Buffalo have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – VCU, ATS Winner – VCU, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Virginia Commonwealth’s last 5 games.
Virginia Commonwealth is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home.
Buffalo scores an average of just 75.9 points per game (ranked 139th). VCU ranks 89th in points allowed, giving up 66.6 points per game.
Buffalo beats VCU in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bulls average 72.4 possessions and 1.048 points per possession, while the Rams average 69.6 possessions with 1.033 points per possession.
The VCU Rams average an effective field goal percentage of 46.5% this season. The Buffalo Bulls are 4-3 when opponents have an eFG% of 46.5% or greater.
Buffalo, the 66th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.3 rebounds per game. VCU does worse, ranked 169th with 37.5.
The Buffalo Bulls rank 29th in offensive rebounds. The VCU Rams rank 291st in the nation in defensive rebounds.
VCU is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 24.1% (ranked 12th). Buffalo is winless this season (0-1 SU) when its TO% reaches 24.1% or greater.
