It will be a battle between Atlantic 10 opponents when the George Mason Patriots (9-16) welcome the Saint Louis Billikens (8-16) to Patriot Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The Patriots come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, just getting past Davidson 60-59 on Saturday. Jalen Jenkins led all scorers on the team with 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Billikens, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 85-52 loss at the hands of VCU on Saturday. Jermaine Bishop had a team-high 16 points.
Second-chance opportunities are expected to be few and far between for the Billikens in this contest. They rank 344th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 21.9%), while George Mason is fifth-best in the nation on the defensive backboards (DR% of 76.9%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Patriots winning the first matchup 92-79. Marquise Moore recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The Patriots enter the game with records of 9-16 Straight Up (SU) and 10-12 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 3-7 ATS. The rebounding edge goes to the Patriots in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.2 boards per game. George Mason has been struggling of late. The Patriots have given up an average of 77.5 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 71.6 PPG.
On the other side, the Billikens have records of 6-15 ATS and 8-16 SU. The Billikens have shown improvement on the offensive end over the most recent 10 game stretch. Over that span, Saint Louis is averaging 71.2 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 64.8. The Billikens average 72.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 79.4 points per game during that span.
With the Patriots’ last win against Saint Louis, their SU record rises to 3-2 over Saint Louis in their most recent meetings. With a 5-0 record, the Patriots also have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, George Mason held the edge in all three of these categories one time in the last five meetings. Saint Louis never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – GMason, ATS Winner – GMason
Notes
“George Mason is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of George Mason’s last 6 games “.
“George Mason is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“George Mason is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of George Mason’s last 6 games at home”.
“George Mason is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Saint Louis”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of George Mason’s last 5 games when playing Saint Louis”.
Both George Mason and Saint Louis are a poor 3-9 SU against conference foes.
The Saint Louis Billikens average 68.8 possessions per game and .942 points per possession. The George Mason Patriots earn fewer possessions with 66.7, but they score more points with .985.
The George Mason Patriots average an effective field goal percentage of 45.5% this season. The Saint Louis Billikens have an abysmal record of 5-15 when opponents have an eFG% of 45.5% or greater.
On average, the George Mason Patriots attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Saint Louis Billikens attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, George Mason is 5-6, while Saint Louis has an underachieving record of 3-5.
George Mason ranks 70th in offensive rebounding. Saint Louis ranks 199th in defensive rebounding.
The George Mason Patriots average 2.9 steals per game. When giving up 2 or more steals, the Saint Louis Billikens have a losing record (8-14) this season.
