The VCU Rams (20-8) will travel to Charles E. Smith Center to challenge the George Washington Colonials (21-7) in their home finale. Action gets underway at 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and will air on NBS.
The Colonials come into this game on a high note after topping Richmond 73-61 on Wednesday. Patricio Garino led all scorers on the team with 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting. The Rams are coming off a 76-69 loss at the hands of George Mason on Wednesday. Melvin Johnson had a game-high 24 points.
Scoring opportunities from the charity stripe may be sporadic for the Rams in this one. They’re 282nd in the nation in FTA rate (32.7), while George Washington is among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (yielding a rate of 28.1, ranking 27th overall).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Colonials winning the first matchup 72-69. Garino was a top performer in the victory with 27 points, four rebounds, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Colonials look to build on their records of 21-7 Straight Up (SU) and 13-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Colonials are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 18.0 per game.
On the other side, the Rams have 20-8 SU and 16-9 ATS records. The Rams convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 44th in the nation at .378. 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. They average 9.7 steals per game, good for fourth in the nation.
In their previous meeting this season, George Washington beat VCU, but the win was not enough to overtake VCU in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-7 SU over the last few meetings. Furthermore, VCU leads the matchup ATS with a record of 7-2. VCU held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time, while George Washington was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – VCU, ATS Winner – VCU
Notes
“George Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games “.
“George Washington is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games “.
“George Washington is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of George Washington’s last 6 games at home”.
“George Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Virginia Commonwealth”.
“George Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Virginia Commonwealth”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of George Washington’s last 9 games when playing Virginia Commonwealth”.
George Washington averages 75.4 points per game, placing the team just 105th in the nation. VCU ranks 63rd in points allowed, giving up 67.3 points per game.
George Washington scores just 78.7 points per home game (ranked 106th). VCU ranks 85th in points allowed on the road, giving up 72.0 points.
The George Washington Colonials rank 56th for their offensive rating of 112.1. The VCU Rams have a defensive rating of 96.3 (ranked 36th).
The VCU Rams average 70.2 possessions per game and 1.111 points per possession. The George Washington Colonials earn fewer possessions with 67.3, but they score more points with 1.121.
George Washington has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.2%. VCU is a winning 10-5 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
VCU ranks 79th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. George Washington performs worse at 151st with 13.7 assists per game.
George Washington, the 63rd-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.6 rebounds per game. VCU does worse, ranked 145th with 36.9.
George Washington ranks 80th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, VCU ranks 57th.
The VCU defense has forced an average TO% of 23.7% this season (ranked seventh). In games where it gives up a TO% of 24% or greater, George Washington has a losing 1-2 record.
