It will be a battle between Atlantic 10 opponents when the Saint Louis Billikens (10-16) welcome the Dayton Flyers (21-5) to Chaifetz Arena. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and can be seen on CCS.
The Billikens beat Fordham 76-68 on Saturday. Mike Crawford was the game’s high scorer with 21 points on 6-for-6 shooting. The Flyers, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-72 loss at the hands of St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Charles Cooke had a team-high 22 points.
The Billikens might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Flyers rank 31st in defensive efficiency, while Saint Louis ranks 326th in offensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Flyers winning the first matchup 73-37. Kendall Pollard had a stellar game with 18 points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
The Billikens have gone 10-16 Straight Up (SU) and 8-15 Against The Spread (ATS). Saint Louis has averaged 74.2 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 65.8. Saint Louis’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 64.2 during that span, compared to its 72.0 season average.
In the other locker room, the Flyers head into the game with records of 13-13 ATS and 21-5 SU. The Dayton defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 30th in Division I with only 65.2 points allowed per game. The Dayton defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .405 shooting from the field to its opponents. Defensive rebounding is an area where Dayton has excelled. The Flyers average 25.3 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Flyers’ last win against Saint Louis, their SU record is now 6-4 over Saint Louis in their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 6-4 record, Dayton has the advantage ATS. Both Saint Louis and Dayton have led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – Dayton, ATS Winner – Dayton
Notes
Saint Louis scores an average of just 65.8 points per game (ranked 243rd). Dayton ranks 30th in points allowed, giving up 65.2 points per game.
Dayton scores 72.5 points per away game (ranked 99th). Saint Louis ranks a poor 163rd in points allowed at home, allowing 70.0 points.
Saint Louis averages 69.2 possessions per game, scoring .951 points on each possession. While Dayton averages fewer possessions per game with 68.0, they score more points per possession with 1.087.
Saint Louis has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. Dayton is a solid 10-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Saint Louis Billikens average 18.0 three point attempts per game and are 4-5 when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Dayton Flyers average 19.0 attempts and have a tremendous record (14-3) when attempting 20 or more.
Dayton, the 51st-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.6 per game. Saint Louis does worse, ranked 334th with 1.8.
Saint Louis ranks 343rd in offensive rebounds, while Dayton ranks 26th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Saint Louis forces a turnover rate of 18.8%. When Dayton turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an outstanding 10-3 record.
