The VCU Rams (16-5) look to continue their 11-game winning streak when they meet the faltering La Salle Explorers (5-14) at Tom Gola Arena. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
The Explorers fell to Dayton 59-44 on Saturday. Jordan Price was the team’s high scorer, contributing 17 points. The Rams, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-69 win over Davidson on Friday. Mo Alie-Cox claimed his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Justin Tillman and JeQuan Lewis have been on a tear over the last five games for the Rams. Tillman has averaged 15.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 0.6 steals during that stretch, while Lewis has put up 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
The Explorers might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Rams rank 33rd in defensive efficiency, while La Salle ranks 326th in offensive efficiency.
La Salle is a big 15-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Explorers are hoping to improve on their records of 5-14 Straight Up (SU) and 5-11 Against The Spread (ATS).
On the other side, the Rams have 16-5 SU and 12-4 ATS records. Most recently, VCU is 7-1 ATS over the last 10 games. The Rams convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 38th in the nation at .380. The Rams have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 13.1 offensive rebounds per game, 42nd in the country. VCU’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 5.0 shots from the three-point line per game. When it comes to stealing the ball, the Rams are one of the best in the nation with an average of 10.0 steals per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference foes. Their previous game was an Explorers victory, but VCU still leads the head-to-head record, 3-2 SU. With a 3-2 record, the Explorers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – VCU, ATS Winner – VCU
Notes
La Salle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
La Salle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
La Salle is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of La Salle’s last 6 games at home.
The VCU Rams have a defensive rating of 95.2 (ranked 33rd), while the La Salle Explorers have an offensive rating of 95.3 (ranked 326th).
VCU beats La Salle in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Rams average 70.8 possessions and 1.103 points per possession, while the Explorers average 66.2 possessions with .953 points per possession.
La Salle has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.1%. VCU is a solid 10-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, La Salle attempts 24.0 three pointers and VCU attempts 20.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the La Salle Explorers have a 4-12 record while the VCU Rams have an exceptional 8-1 record.
VCU ranks 70th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24. La Salle is ranked lower at 256th with an A/TO of .93.
VCU averages 10.0 steals per game, ranking fourth in the country. La Salle is a losing 1-2 when it allows at least 9 steals.
